Introduction
In the population at large, mycotic infections are generally restricted to the skin; however, in persons debilitated by chronic disease, treated for long periods with broad-spectrum antibiotics, or immunosuppressed by radiation and chemotherapy, deep-seated organs may be involved. Most fungi are regular saprophytes that may become pathogenic under such conditions. The AIDS epidemic has been accompanied by a substantial increase in visceral and disseminated mycoses and in other opportunistic infections. Some of these, such as histoplasmosis and coccidioidomycosis, are particularly prominent in the regions where they are normally endemic, becoming in such areas the most frequent complications of AIDS. In the present chapter, only the fungal infections that may affect lymph nodes are discussed.