An Overview of Diagnostic and Management Strategies for Talaromycosis, an Underrated Disease

Abstract

Underrated and neglected, talaromycosis is a life-threatening fungal disease endemic to the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. In China, it has been reported that talaromycosis mortality doubles from 24 to 50% when the diagnosis is delayed, and reaches 100% when the diagnosis is missed. Thus, the accurate diagnosis of talaromycosis is of utmost importance. Herein, in the first part of this article, we provide an extensive review of the diagnostic tools used thus far by physicians in the management of cases of talaromycosis. The challenges encountered and the perspectives which may aid in the discovery of more accurate and reliable diagnostic approaches are also discussed. In the second part of this review, we discuss the drugs used to prevent and treat T. marneffei infection. Alternative therapeutic options and potential drug resistance reported in the contemporary literature are also discussed. We aim to guide researchers towards the discovery of novel approaches to prevent, diagnose, and treat talaromycosis, and therefore improve the prognosis for those afflicted by this important disease.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Combined with T. marneffei Infection Complicated by Undiagnosed HIV：A case report and literature review

“…However, HIV-negative TSM patients often have mixed infections, especially with intracellular bacteria. This make the clinical condition more complex and variable, and can lead to misdiagnosis and mistreatment (with a misdiagnosis rate is as high as 46%) [9][10][11] .…”

Pulmonary endemic mycoses

“…Talaromycosis can carry a high mortality of 25% even with treatment, increasing significantly with delayed diagnosis. 18 , 19 L-AmB is the preferred induction treatment for 10-14 days, followed by itraconazole consolidation therapy for 10 weeks and maintenance therapy thereafter. 5 …”