Fungal Colonization of the Respiratory Tract in Allogeneic and Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients: A Study of 573 Transplanted Patients

Background Fungal colonization and infections remain a major cause of infection morbidity and mortality following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in patients with hematological malignancies. The aim of this study was to analyze the spectrum of fungal microflora of the respiratory tract (oral cavity, pharynx, epiglottis, and sputum) in patients undergoing HSCT and to evaluate the relationship between HSCT type and incidence of mycotic colonization and infections.