Combination antifungal therapy

The availability of new antifungal agents and classes makes the potential of combination antifungal therapy a much needed reality. In vitro studies are only minimally useful for guiding clinical use. Experimental models have suggested the potential for favorable combinations. Combination therapy has demonstrated effectiveness in both cryptococcosis and candidemia, but clinical data are lacking in invasive aspergillosis and other rare mycoses, in which outcomes are frequently poor. Ultimately therapy in invasive mycoses might include not only combinations of antifungal agents but also agents such as growth factors and immune modulators to reverse abnormal host defenses, which are critical in the overall outcome of patients with these diseases.