Opportunistic fungal infections in children.

The advent of new therapeutic agents for fungal infections will improve therapy while reducing adverse reactions. Effective intervention requires suspicion of fungi as etiologic agents, obtaining tissue specimens for histology and culture, and early institution of antifungal chemotherapy. Empiric use of antifungals, after diagnostic tests have been performed, will further reduce the morbidity and mortality of fungal infections in immunosuppressed hosts.