[Frequency of invasive fungal infections in a Mexican High-Specialty Hospital. Experience of 21 years].

BACKGROUND: Factors such as cancer, HIV infection, use of corticosteroids and antibiotics, favors the increase in the number of invasive fungal infections (IFI) worldwide.

METHODS: To determine the frequency and epidemiological aspects of IFI at a mexican, a review of the proven cases diagnosed over the past 21 years (1993-2013) in the Laboratory of Medical Mycology was performed.

RESULTS: A total of 472 cases were identified as: 261 candidiasis, 82 mucormycosis, 60 cryptococcosis, 43 aspergillosis and 16 histoplasmosis. A decrease in the frequency of candidiasis was observed, with 74 cases in the first 6 years and 48 in the last five. C. albicans was the most common agent and pulmonary infection the most prevalent. Cryptococcosis also declined from 24 to 10 cases, mainly caused by C. neoformans; two cases of C. laurentii and C. terreus and C unigutulatus were isolated once. Mucormycosis remained steady, but aspergillosis increased significantly, and from 2 cases found in the first studied period, it rose to 23 in the last one.

CONCLUSIONS: It is important that High Specialty Hospitals have well-equipped laboratories of Medical Mycology. We suggest the creation of a National Reference Center for Mycoses to collect all the data of these infections, in order to help to the development of strategies for health education, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of them.