Background

The diagnostic tools currently employed to detect fungal pathogens:

The diagnostic methods employed to diagnose fungal infections at present vary in performance as each type of pathogen has a greater proclivity for being detected by some tests than others. However, microscopy has always been the mainstay as far as diagnosis of fungal infections is concerned. We look forward to enhance the diagnostic capabilities of conventional microscopy by enhancing specificity and visibility through the application molecular biology.Nevertheless,the following table was compiled from Fungal Infection Thrust.

Fungal infection	Diagnostic technique
	Microscopy	Agar culture	Xrays/scans	Antigen	Blood antibody	DNA detection
Thrush	+++	+++	-	-	-	-
Candida bloodstream	-	+++	+	+	+	+++
Candida abdominal	+	+++	+	-	-	-
Cryptococcal meningitis	++	+++	+	+++	-	-
Invasive aspergillosis	+	+	+++	++	-	++
Chronic aspergillosis	+	+	+++	-	+++	++
Allergic aspergillosis	+	+	++	-	+++	+
Coccidioidomycosis	+	++	++	-	+++	-
Histoplasmosis	+	++	+	++	-	-
Zygomycosis	+++	+	++	-	-	-

Resource: http://www.fungalinfectiontrust.org/diagnosis.htm