Medical Mycology

The increasing importance of fungal infections, for example life-threatening opportunistic mycoses in transplant patients and immunocompromised individuals including those with AIDS, means that workers in medical microbiology laboratories need to be more familiar with the specialist methods used for the diagnosis and monitoring of these infections.;An account of the established methods used for the laboratory diagnosis of fungal infection and for monitoring antifugal therapy, this book enables non-specialists to undertake basic mycological investigations, to interpret the results and to know when to refer material to specialist mycology laboratories. Although primarily intended as a bench-book for medical microbiologists, it is also suitable for use as a practical manual for courses in diagnostic medical mycology.;The microbiologist is first provided with detailed protocols for the collection and processing of specimens and on the microscopical examination and culture of fungi from clinical material. This is followed by individual chapters on the identification of the causal agents of superficial, subcutaneous and systematic mycoses. These are complemented by a chapter on frequently encountered fungal contaminants. The remaining chapters deal with serodiagnostic tests, histopathology and methods with antifungals.