| dc.description.abstract | Systemic mycoses are deep infections caused by pathogenic fungi, most of which are acquired through exposure and inhalation of fragments or spores by the respiratory tract. These fungi are mostly saprobic, presenting filamentous form when free in the environment. After inhalation and arrival in the lungs, the spores differentiate into yeasts or other forms with peculiar specialties, such as the spherules. Most pulmonary fungal infections are asymptomatic and often limited by the host's immune system. However, in some individuals the disease spreads invading other adjacent organs, causing severe tissue damage, which can result in the death of the patient. Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, Histoplasma capsulatum, Coccidioides immitis and Blastomyces dermatitidis, the main etiological agents that will be part of this work, stand out among the fungi that cause systemic mycoses that affect the individual through the respiratory tract. The rapid diagnosis of these mycoses is of great importance both for the treatment of the individual and for the notification of cases and epidemiological record of these diseases. These mycoses are endemic, found and distributed geographically throughout the Americas, especially in Latin countries such as Brazil. Among the several types of systemic mycoses already described in the literature, this work will address only paracoccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis and blastomycosis. | |
