Panfungal PCR on formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue – to proceed or not proceed?

Abstract

Performance of panfungal PCR-DNA sequencing assays for diagnosis of invasive fungal disease on formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue (FFPE) is influenced by many variables Interpretation of a positive result can be challenging due to need to differentiate colonisers, contaminants from clinically significant pathogens. We conducted a retrospective audit on FFPE tissue specimens that underwent panfungal PCR from January 2021 to August 2022. Panfungal PCR results from samples where fungal elements were visualised on histopathology were compared with results from samples where no fungal elements were visualised.