If concomitant HAART is required it is advisable to select agents that have minimal drug interactions and to use therapeutic drug monitoring to check both itraconazole and potentially antiretroviral agents. Specialist advice, including

that from a pharmacologist with experience of these interactions, is required to effectively click here manage these cases. For moderately severe disseminated histoplasmosis [70], or for disseminated blastomycosis [66] or for disseminated coccidioidomycosis [80], amphotericin B is usually used for induction treatment for the first 2 weeks of therapy. Liposomal amphotericin B at 3 mg/kg iv for 2 weeks is the preferred induction agent for moderately severe disseminated histoplasmosis in HIV-seropositive individuals, on the basis of a randomized clinical trial which demonstrated less infusion-related toxicity and nephrotoxicity and greater clinical Pictilisib success, as compared to conventional amphotericin B (category Ib recommendation) [81]. Although fewer data exist for other disseminated infections with dimorphic fungi, it is reasonable to consider liposomal amphotericin B at 3 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks followed by itraconazole (or fluconazole

for coccidioidomycosis) for other dimorphic fungi (category IV recommendation). There is no evidence that higher doses of amphotericin offer any treatment advantage. Patients unable to tolerate amphotericin may be treated with intravenous itraconazole (fluconazole for coccidioidomycosis) although azoles have been little studied in moderately severe disseminated disease (category IV Buspirone HCl recommendation). After initial induction therapy for 2 weeks, maintenance therapy for the next 10 weeks should be with itraconazole oral solution 200 mg bd po with therapeutic drug monitoring as above. After this period the maintenance dose should be 200 mg od/bd with the goal of keeping the itraconazole level >4 mg/L (category III recommendation) [79]. For CNS disease with histoplasmosis up to 5 mg/kg/day liposomal

amphotericin B for 4–6 weeks followed by fluconazole 800 mg od (due to better CNS penetration than itraconazole) for at least 1 year is recommended [69]. For coccidioidomycosis there are fewer clinical data but moderately severe disease is treated with liposomal amphotericin B 3 mg/kg/day intravenously followed by maintenance with fluconazole 400–800 mg od orally (category IV recommendation). Some experts recommend using fluconazole with amphotericin B in the induction phase [67] and fluconazole 800 mg od orally should be used in induction therapy, with or without intrathecal amphotericin B, when there is CNS disease [82]. Fluconazole levels do not need to be monitored.