Identification of Pathogenic Fungi

Since the first edition of Identification of Pathogenic Fungi, there has been incredible progress in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of fungal diseases: new methods of diagnosis have been introduced, and new antifungal agents have been licensed for use. However, these developments have been offset by the emergence of resistance to several classes of drugs, and an increase in infections caused by fungi with innate resistance to one or more classes.

Identification of Pathogenic Fungi, Second Edition, assists in the identification of over 100 of the most significant organisms of medical importance. Each chapter is arranged so that the descriptions for similar organisms may be found on adjacent pages. Differential diagnosis details are given for each organism on the basis of both colonial appearance and microscopic characteristics for the organisms described.

In this fully updated second edition, a new chapter on the identification of fungi in histopathological sections and smears has been added, while colour illustrations of cultures and microscopic structures have been included, and high quality, four colour digital images are incorporated throughout.

The first edition of this book was a highly successful manual self-published by the Public Health Laboratory Service (now the Health Protection Agency) in 1996. It was designed to assist in the identification of over 100 of the most significant fungi of medical importance. In this it has proved popular with medical laboratories in the UK and overseas, possibly because, unlike several of its competitors, it has emphasised points of differential distinction between related groups of species. Since its publication 11 years ago, there are now new changes in the names of some of the fungi and several other fungi have come into prominence as causes of infection. The information on antifungal drugs has become outdated and a second edition will allow these changes to be made as it will be completely revised and updated throughout. The original edition was illustrated solely by line drawings of the microscopic appearance. The appearance of the fungal colonies on the agar plate, an important aspect of laboratory identification, was alluded to only by text descriptions. It is proposed to improve the presentation by the addition of colour photographs of colonies, as well as photographs of the key microscopic morphological features. The organisms described will be grouped in chapters according to the spore-bearing structures produced in culture, rather than ordered on an alphabetical basis. Every organism will be illustrated and its colonial, macroscopic and microscopic appearance described. Differential diagnosis details will be given for each organism on the basis of both colonial appearance and microscopic characteristics for the organisms described. High quality, four colour digital images wil be incorporated throughout.  

Since the first edition of Identification of Pathogenic Fungi, there has been incredible progress in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of fungal diseases: new methods of diagnosis have been introduced, and new antifungal agents have been licensed for use. However, these developments have been offset by the emergence of resistance to several classes of drugs, and an increase in infections caused by fungi with innate resistance to one or more classes. Identification of Pathogenic Fungi, Second Edition, assists in the identification of over 100 of the most significant organisms of medical importance. Each chapter is arranged so that the descriptions for similar organisms may be found on adjacent pages. Differential diagnosis details are given for each organism on the basis of both colonial appearance and microscopic characteristics for the organisms described. In this fully updated second edition, a new chapter on the identification of fungi in histopathological sections and smears has been added, while colour illustrations of cultures and microscopic structures have been included, and high quality, four colour digital images are incorporated throughout.