Veríssimo, Cristina2021-04-232021-04-232020-09http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/7705Histoplasma and Paracoccidiodes are both thermodimorphic fungi endemic in particular geographic areas. Paracoccidiomycosis is a systemic fungal disease occurring in Latin America and it is more prevalent in South America. Histoplasma is the infectious agent of histoplasmosis, a disease which is endemic mainly in the American continent but is now being discovered globally, but with hyperendemic areas. The epidemiology of these infections seems to be shifting. Factors such as human migration and tourism, use of immunosuppressive drugs, and organ transplantation contribute to the increase of this infectious disease. In non-endemic areas, the medical community is less aware of this type of infections, which may delay the diagnosis or even lead to a failure in its detection. These infections spread rarely, however they can be fatal if not treated. Since they are not notifiable diseases, the true burden outsider of endemic regions is not known. The diagnosis can be difficult: conventional laboratory tests include culture and histological methods which are the gold standard to diagnosis, but we deal with slow growing organisms, obtaining culture results can thus require a long time, and sensitivity is low. On the other hand, histology can be very sensitive if targeted fungal stains are used (Periodic acid–Schiff, Grocott methenamine silver) but requires practice with identification of typical structures. Despite the development of several molecular methods, these are not included as diagnostic tools for proven infections. This presentation aims to discuss new trends in the epidemiology of these endemic infections, to describe our experience in the methods used for laboratory diagnosis of histoplasmosis and paracoccidiomycosis, and to discuss how molecular methods have contributed to the diagnosis of the cases detected. Two clinical cases already published on the subject will be presented to illustrate the decisive role of the laboratory concerning the diagnosis of these infections.engHistoplasmaParacoccidioidesEndemic FungiInfecções Sistémicas e Zoonosesconference object