Phycomycoses are opportunistic fungal diseases as far as mucormycosis is concerned, but for basidiobolomycosis and entomophthoromycosis, the adjective 'opportunistic' should be used with caution. Mucormycosis assumes cranial, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, disseminated, cutaneous and focal forms: the infection nearly always develops in a person whose resistance is lowered by a metabolic disorder, a blood dyscrasia, corticosteroid or immunodepressive therapy. It is a frequent complication in leukemia or diabetic acidosis. Basidiobolomycosis and entomophtoromycosis are caused by fungi which belong to the order, Entomophthorales. They are characterized in tissue by broad hyphae which are surrounded by eosinophilic material. These mycoses are treated by potassium iodide.
就毛霉病而言，藻菌病属于机会性真菌病，但对于蛙粪霉病和虫霉病，使用“机会性”这个形容词时应谨慎。毛霉病有累及颅脑、肺部、胃肠道、播散性、皮肤和局灶性等多种形式：感染几乎总是发生在因代谢紊乱、血液恶病质、皮质类固醇或免疫抑制治疗而导致抵抗力下降的人身上。它是白血病或糖尿病酸中毒中常见的并发症。蛙粪霉病和虫霉病由属于虫霉目的真菌引起。它们在组织中的特征是有被嗜酸性物质包围的宽大菌丝。这些真菌病用碘化钾治疗。
