Medical Mycology is first and foremost a laboratory technique manual. While each chapter begins with some explanatory text providing background on the pathogenic fungi, the bulk of the book is devoted to protocol. The text, edited by Kevin Kavanagh, covers diagnosis of Candida infection by immunohistochemistry, techniques for identification of pathogenic fungi using transmission electron microscopy, analysis of antifungal drug resistance, use of animal models, and additional techniques for molecular analysis and study of virulence. The fungal species most represented in Medical Mycology are Candida albicans (a common cause of periodontal disease and other human fungal infections), Aspergillus fumigatus (a common filamentous fungus responsible for infection in immunocompromised patients), and Cryptococcus neoformans (a pathogenic yeast infecting immunocompromised patients).
Each chapter is organized logically, with sections devoted to “equipment, materials, and reagents,” and a step-by-step “method.” Figures included in each chapter provide the researcher with examples of results from immunohistochemical stains, for example, and help in identification of fungi. Schematics also are included to aid understanding of molecular pathways and reactions. At the end of each chapter is a list of primary references for further reading. Medical Mycology is a useful guide for molecular, immunological, and cytological techniques that will prove useful to researchers and students alike.