Larone's Medically Important Fungi: A Guide to Identification 6th Edition

This well-established manual has really withstood the test of time, evolving through the last four decades. It first came out in 1976, and the edition prior to this one was published by the American Society of Microbiology in 2011. This record demonstrates that it fulfills a real need amongst medical mycologists; indeed, it is referred to in the Preface as an “esteemed, beloved, and time-honored book” (p. xvii). This is perhaps in no small measure because the authors are all hospital or medical college based and at the sharp end of diagnosis of conditions due to fungi. They take a pragmatic approach and have endeavored to provide a manual that provides as much as possible to make this a one-stop-shop for clinicians and laboratory technicians ― taking them as far as they can and then with information on how to proceed with “rare or atypical fungi”. Indeed, guidance on the use of reference laboratories and how to safely package and transport material appears right at the start of the book, followed by sections of safety procedures to be followed and taxonomy and nomenclature. I was pleased to see the issue of the need to be aware of cryptic species being flagged up, and that the one-name-one-fungus decision had been embraced, albeit with the common misunderstanding that this was effective from January 2013 rather than the actual date of July 2011... While the book does perhaps have something of a North American slant, for example not including species such as Neotestudina rosatii, it is by far the best book on clinical mycology I am aware of tailored for the hospital laboratory, providing a bridge between more superficial texts and the monographic approach of the Atlas of Clinical Fungi...Davise Larone should be very pleased to see the work she started so long ago going from strength to strength, and continuing to fulfill a real need, as she commences her 80th year.

-David Hawksworth, excerpted from the full review in IMA Fungus Vol. 9, No. 2, Book News"

REVIEW 2

Recognizing the increase in fungal infections of humans and the decrease of formal training in mycology for clinical laboratory personnel, the bench-side guide and teaching aid describes the macroscopic and microscopic morphologies of cultured fungi as pertaining to those on Sabouraud dextrose agar. Black and white images depict different types of filamentous bacteria, yeasts, thermally dimorphic fungi, and thermally monomorphic molds. A section on laboratory technique details lab procedures, staining methods, and media preparation. The sixth edition adds an essay on taxonomy and nomenclature, identifies emerging pathogens, and updates technological advances in next-generation sequencing, real-time PCR, melt curve analysis, and T2 magnetic resonance.

-PROTOVIEW (NO INDIVIDUAL REVIEWER NOTED)

Larone's Medically Important Fungi

Sixth Edition

The definitive guide for identifying fungi from clinical specimens

Medically Important Fungi will expand your knowledge and support your work by:

• Providing detailed descriptions of the major mycoses as viewed in patients' specimens by direct microscopic examination of stained slides
• Offering a logical step-by-step process for identification of cultured organisms, utilizing detailed descriptions, images, pointers on organisms' similarities and distinctions, and selected references for further information
• Covering nearly 150 of the fungi most commonly encountered in the clinical mycology laboratory
• Presenting details on each organism's pathogenicity, growth characteristics, relevant biochemical reactions, and microscopic morphology, illustrated with photomicrographs, Dr. Larone's unique and elegant drawings, and color photos of colony morphology and various test results
• Explaining the current changes in fungal taxonomy and nomenclature that are due to information acquired through molecular taxonomic studies of evolutionary fungal relationships
• Providing basic information on molecular diagnostic methods, e.g., PCR amplification, nucleic acid sequencing, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and other commercial platforms
• Including an extensive section of easy-to-follow lab protocols, a comprehensive list of media and stain procedures, guidance on collection and preparation of patient specimens, and an illustrated glossary

With Larone's Medically Important Fungi: A Guide to Identification, both novices and experienced professionals in clinical microbiology laboratories can continue to confidently identify commonly encountered fungi.