Abstract
Procalcitonin (PCT) has been described as a marker of bacterial sepsis. However, little is known of its diagnostic value in fungal infections. We calculated the sensitivity of PCT for detection of invasive fungal infections (IFI) by analyzing 55 episodes of proven or probable IFI (three in our series, 52 reported in the recent literature). In the early phase of IFI, PCT was elevated in fewer than half of invasive candidiasis episodes and in only one patient (5.3%) with invasive aspergillosis. Due to low sensitivity and specificity, PCT adds little to the diagnosis of IFI.
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Acknowledgements
We are indebted to Dr. Nicole M. Blijlevens, Dr. Sofia Christofilopoulou, Dr. Gudrun Fleischhack, Dr. Helen Giamarellou and Dr. Wolfgang Huber for providing additional data on their published cases.
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Dornbusch, H.J., Strenger, V., Kerbl, R. et al. Procalcitonin—a marker of invasive fungal infection?. Support Care Cancer 13, 343–346 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-004-0721-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-004-0721-3