In vitro antifungal susceptibility testing

With the rising frequency of fungal infections, as well as increasing repor ts of resistance to antifungal agents, it is imperative that clinically app licable antifungal susceptibility testing be available. In 1997 the Nationa l Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards published standard guidelines for antifungal susceptibility testing of Candida sp and Cryptococcus neofo rmans with amphotericin B, flucytosine, fluconazole, itraconazole, and keto conazole. Although the methods are standard, they are time consuming, can b e difficult to interpret, and are approved only for testing limited organis ms and drugs. Modifications to the methods and alternative approaches have been proposed to make these tests more convenient and efficient, applicable to a greater number of species, and appropriate for performing in the clin ical laboratory.