Antifungal treatment in pediatric patients

Abstract

Invasive fungal infections have increased in frequency and severity over the past two decades as a result of an increasing number of immunocompromised patients. This new age of opportunistic fungal infections extends to pediatric patients. The last decade has seen the development of several new antifungal agents for the treatment of these infections. However, there is a paucity of data on the treatment of invasive fungal infections in children. This review provides a brief overview of the current state of antifungal therapy for children, discussing the important antifungal classes and the differences in mechanisms of action and resistance, pharmacology, and efficacy and safety data in pediatric patients outside the neonatal period.