Candida, Cryptococcus, and other yeasts of medical importance.

The chapter on Candida, Cryptococcus, and other yeasts of medical importance outlines the taxonomy, epidemiology, and clinical significance of species from as many as 12 yeast genera. The routine diagnostic methods of microscopic examination, culture, and identification are outlined and include commonly used tests such as germ tubes and biochemical profiling kits, as well as discussion on the application, advantages, and disadvantages of molecular methods such as peptide nucleic acid fluorescent in situ hybridization, real-time PCR, sequencing, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). Antigen/antibody tests provide rapid and clinically important results for species such as Candida and Cryptococcus, and these are also reviewed. The chapter contains five tables containing key identification characteristics of yeasts, including the difficult-to-identify Malassezia and Tichosporon species, a table listing the currently available rapid tests, and a table of antifungal susceptibility profiles.