Book Review

Fungal Infections in the Immunocompromised Patient

N Engl J Med 2006; 354:653February 9, 2006

Article

Fungal Infections in the Immunocompromised Patient
(Infectious Disease and Therapy. Vol. 34.). Edited by John R. Wingard and Elias J. Anaissie. 675 pp., illustrated. Boca Raton, Fla., Taylor & Francis, 2005. $199.95. ISBN: 0-8247-5428-X

In this era of fear of microorganisms used as weapons by bioterrorists, the devastating consequences of an influenza pandemic, or drug-resistant bacterial infections, a small but clinically significant plague of invasive fungal infections has developed. These life-threatening infections entail the direct participation of both the host and the microorganism — and associated disease is critically linked to specific host risk factors and a small number of hardy but low-virulence yeasts and molds.

Wingard and Anaissie have edited a book that carefully examines the topic of fungal infections from the perspectives of both the host and the fungus. They have brought together distinguished experts in a wide range of fields, and it is clear that these authors have framed the important clinical problems. They do an outstanding job of referencing their statements. Even more impressive is the emphasis on pertinent clinical issues and descriptions that manage to be both personal and authoritative.

The book has 24 comprehensive chapters, dealing with topics that range from assessments of risks in the host to diagnosis and management of some of the most important fungal pathogens in humans. There is detailed coverage of the subjects, and although each chapter stands alone, taken together they serve to make a strong book and a useful resource. The book is well grounded in basic principles with substantial insights and robust referencing of the data. It is very close to “real-time” information for clinical practice today. Its knowledge base is very solid, and the book should age well.

The book is meant for clinicians and students who take care of immunocompromised patients at risk for fungal infections. It is intended to be a resource for physicians engaged in teaching and research, as well as for clinicians and microbiologists. Its mission is to synthesize an enlarging, unique field of infectious diseases into an insightful resource; this mission has been accomplished.

Those who care for patients at high risk for invasive fungal infections will benefit from the knowledge in this book. It teaches, probes, and asks questions about a complex area of modern infectious diseases. Invasive fungal infections quietly cause substantial morbidity and mortality in many hospitalized patients. The more that we talk about these infections, the more we will learn, and there is a lot to learn in this book.

John R. Perfect, M.D.
Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710
perfe001@mc.duke.edu