The beginning of 80s was noticeable by hospital fungal infections, mainly in immunocompromised patients, resulting in serious health problems. Yeasts from Candida genus are among the most important agents of these infections. However, non-albicans species appear not only as colonizers, but also as pathogens responsible for severe infections. The urinary and the respiratory tracts are anatomical sites colonized by these microorganisms and they are susceptible to infections, which may cause hematogenic dissemination. Nevertheless, there are some controversies about the medical approach towards laboratory yeast findings in samples from the urine or respiratory tract, as the criteria used for the mycoses diagnosis in these sites are still not well established. The objective of this study was to discuss the aspects related to the difficulties in evaluating yeast findings in samples from the urinary and respiratory tracts in hospitalized patients, and also their involvement in invasive infection processes.
Invasive fungal infection; Urinary tract; Respiratory tract