Introduction:　Invasive　fungal　infection　(IFI)　is　a　serious　problem　due　to　difficulties　in　early　diagnosis　and　high　mortality.　Different　approaches　are　adopted　for　the　treatment　and　management　of　IFI,　including　prophylactic,　empiric,　preemptive　and　directed　strategies.　Areas　covered:　This　paper　reviews　the　type　of　pharmacotherapy　used　for　antifungal　prophylaxis　in　infants　with　extremely　low　birth　weights,　pediatric　patients　with　cardiac　disease,　preterm　neonates,　pediatric　oncology　patients,　adult　cancer　patients　with　neutropenia,　adult　patients　with　hematologic　malignancy,　hematopoietic　stem-cell　transplantation　recipients,　organ　transplant　recipients,　HIV-infected　patients,　immunosuppressed　patients　treated　with　moderate　or　high　doses　of　corticosteroids,　and　patients　with　invasive　fusariosis,　candidemia,　invasive　candidiasis,　systemic　mycoses　and　immunocompromised　patients.　Expert　opinion:　Azole　drugs　are　the　drugs　most　often　used　in　cost-effective　antifungal　prophylaxis　of　patients　with　conditions　such　as　immunodeficiency　and　cancer,　which　render　them　highly　susceptible　to　IFI.　Fluconazole　is　the　most　outstanding　example.　However,　there　are　many　azoles　with　different　pharmacological　characteristics　that　the　physician　can　choose　from.　Echinocandins　have　favorable　characteristics　that　make　them　useful　for　treating　Candida　infections.　Antibodies,　or　their　engineered　derivatives　directed　against　cell-wall　polysaccharides　and　glycopeptides,　and　some　protein　epitopes　of　Candida　albicans,　appear　to　be　a　promising　novel　approach　for　prophylaxis　against　Candida　infection　and　deserve　further　in-depth　investigations.　©　2012　Informa　UK,　Ltd.