Laboratory diagnosis of fungal infections remains challenging in South East Asia as it is a neglected field in most diagnostic centres in the developing world. Initial microscopic examination of clinical specimens for the presence of fungal elements followed by growth and eventual identification of isolates up to genus and species levels are very basic and important services that must be provided by any clinical microbiology laboratory. These services have considerable impact on selection of appropriate antifungal therapy and ultimate reduction in morbidity and mortality. With the realisation of scarcity of this service and expertise in Pakistan, our group decided to produce an atlas for use in clinical laboratories to diagnose fungal infections as well as to improve understanding and skills of clinical laboratory technologists, residents and junior consultants. The editors and authors are hopeful that this atlas will aid in the identification and reporting of fungi in day-to-day clinical laboratory practice.https://ecommons.aku.edu/books/1069/thumbnail.jp
