[Antifungal agents in the treatment of systemic infections: Relevance of mechanism of action, activity profile and resistances].

The availability of different therapeutic alternatives has modified the treatment of systemic fungal infections. There commendations of antifungal therapy vary according to species which causes the mycosis and its susceptibility. Consequently, the knowledge of action mechanism, activity profile and resistances to antifungal agents are essential for the clinical practice. Amphotericin B is the antifungal agent exhibiting the broadest spectrum of activity, it is a fungicidal drug and resistances have been hardly ever described. The triazoles compounds also have a broad spectrum, but their massive use for some therapeutic indications has led to emergence of strains and species of yeasts with resistance to fluconazole and of filamentous fungi itraconazole resistant. The echinocandins exhibit fungicidal effects for yeasts andafungistatic activity against moulds, and secondary resistance to these agents is uncommon.