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Elsevier

Microbiology & Immunology Case Reports

  • 1st Edition - April 22, 2026
  • Latest edition
  • Editors: Raj Dasgupta, Ken S. Rosenthal, Michele Koolaee, Emily Blodget, Susan Butler-Wu, Wendy Gould, Minto Porter, Raj Dasgupta
  • Language: English

Microbiology and Immunology Case Reports: Beyond the Pearls is a case-based reference that covers the key material essential for USMLE and exam preparation. Focusing on the practi… Read more

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Description

Microbiology and Immunology Case Reports: Beyond the Pearls is a case-based reference that covers the key material essential for USMLE and exam preparation. Focusing on the practical information you need to know, it teaches how to analyze a clinical vignette, sharpening your clinical decision-making skills and helping you formulate an evidence-based approach to realistic patient scenarios.

Key features

  • Covers core, high-yield content on microbiology and immunology in a practical, concise, easy-to-read manner
  • Features case scenarios, clinical pearls, tables, imaging, microscopic and gross illustrations, as well as Beyond the Pearls tips and secrets (all evidence-based with references) that provide deep coverage of core material
  • Teaches how to learn with a patient-focused, clinical approach
  • Includes questions throughout the case that put you in the physician’s place and demonstrate the decision making that is needed both in the hospital and on exams
  • Cases have been carefully chosen and cover scenarios and questions frequently encountered on the USMLE, shelf exams, and clinical practice, integrating both basic science and clinical pearls
  • Written and edited by experienced teachers and clinicians; each case has been reviewed by board certified attending/practicing physicians and basic scientists
  • Case Reports: Beyond the Pearls titles are ideal for all medical students, especially those in case-based, problem-based, or integrated courses, and during clinical rotations
  • An eBook version is included with purchase. The eBook allows you to access all of the text and figures, with the ability to search, customize your content, make notes and highlights, and have content read aloud

Readership

Medical students (M1/M2; preparing for USMLE Step 1)

Table of contents

Introduction—Microbiology
Introduction—Immunology
SECTION 1 Microbiology
PART A Bacteria
Chapter 1 A 28-Year-Old Female With Fever and Abdominal Pain
Chapter 2 A 25-Year-Old With Fever and Abdominal Pain After Returning From Travel
Chapter 3 A 48-Year-Old Female With Abdominal Cramping and Painful Diarrhea
Chapter 4 A 72-Year-Old Female With Diarrhea and Severe Abdominal Pain
Chapter 5 A 49-Year-Old Woman With Sore Throat and Fever
Chapter 6 A 68-Year-Old Male With Fever, Cough, and Worsening Dyspnea
Chapter 7 A 35-Year-Old Male Presents With a Seizure
Chapter 8 A 21-Year-Old Male With Pharyngitis
Chapter 9 A 70-Year-Old-Female With Fevers and Chills
Chapter 10 A 56-Year-Old Male With Fever, Headache, and Rash
Chapter 11 A 62-Year-Old Female With Flank Pain and Fevers
Chapter 12 A 54-Year-Old Homeless Male With Fevers, Chills, and Shortness of Breath
Chapter 13 A 43-Year-Old Female Presents to the Urgent Care With a 3-Day History of Sore Throat and Pain When Swallowing
Chapter 14 An 83-Year-Old Female With Generalized Weakness, Fever, and Altered Mentation
Chapter 15 A 42-Year-Old Male With Low Back Pain
Chapter 16 A 20-Year-Old Male With Penile Discharge
Chapter 17 A 57-Year-Old With History of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Presenting With 2 Weeks of Fever, Cough, and Dyspnea
Chapter 18 A 23-Year-Old Female With Hemoptysis
Chapter 19 A 66-Year-Old Female With 2 Years of Productive Cough, Dyspnea, and Malaise
PART B Virus
Chapter 20 An 11-Month-Old Girl With Fever and a Rash
Chapter 21 A 33-Year-Old Woman With Vomiting and Diarrhea After a Cruise
Chapter 22 A 39-Year-Old-Male With Right Upper Quadrant Pain and Hematochezia
Chapter 23 A 48-Year-Old Male With Nonproductive Cough, Dyspnea, and Loss of Smell
Chapter 24 A 30-Year-Old Female With Malaise, Cough, and Myalgias
Chapter 25 A 42-Year-Old Female With Odynophagia
Chapter 26 A 16-Year-Old Female With Sore Throat
Chapter 27 A 34-Year-Old Female With Diarrhea
Chapter 28 A 48-Year-Old Male With Sudden Onset of Fever, Headache, and Confusion
Chapter 29 A 38-Year-Old HIV Patient With Various Nonspecific Symptoms
PART C Fungus
Chapter 30 A 57-Year-Old Female With Cough and Weight Loss
Chapter 31 A 55-Year-Old Woman With Rheumatoid Arthritis on Immunosuppressants Presents With Cough, Dyspnea, and Pleuritic Chest Pain
Chapter 32 A 21-Year-Old Male With Hemoptysis
Chapter 33 A 73-Year-Old-Male With a Painful Knee
PART D Parasite
Chapter 34 A 45-Year-Old Male With Prolonged Diarrhea
Chapter 35 A 70-Year-Old Female With Abdominal Pain
Chapter 36 A 40-Year-Old Immunocompromised Male With Ring-Enhancing Brain Lesions
Chapter 37 A 35-Year-Old Male Returning From Travel With Fever and Headache
Chapter 38 A 45-Year-Old Male With Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy
SECTION 2 Immunology
Chapter 39 A 6-Year-Old Boy With Fever, Cough, and Shortness of Breath
Chapter 40 A 20-Month-Old Girl With Recurrent Infections
Chapter 41 A 25-Year-Old Female With a Diffuse, Itchy Rash, Fatigue, and Joint Pain
Chapter 42 A 7-Month-Old Boy Presents With Chronic Diarrhea and Failure to Thrive
Chapter 43 A 24-Year-Old Female Presents With Chronic Rhinitis, Sinus Congestion, and Recurrent Sinusitis
Chapter 44 A 50-Year-Old Male Establishing Care
Chapter 45 Four-Day-Old Boy Presents With Lethargy, Poor Feeding, and Craniofacial Abnormalities
Chapter 46 A 4-Month-Old Boy With Bloody Diarrhea and Eczema
Chapter 47 A 33-Year-Old Pregnant Female With Fever, Malaise, and Myalgia
Chapter 48 A 66-Year-Old Man Is Found by Paramedics With Hives, Hypotension, and Loss of Consciousness
Chapter 49 A 6-Year-Old Girl With Wheezing, Lip Swelling, and Vomiting
Chapter 50 A 29-Year-Old Male With Hemoptysis
Chapter 51 A 12-Year-Old Boy With Fever, Arthralgia, and Rash
Chapter 52 A 14-Year-Old Boy With Weeping, Pruritic Lesions on Lower Extremities
Chapter 53 A 7-Year-Old Boy With Arthralgias, Abdominal Pain, and Palpable Purpura
Chapter 54 A 67-Year-Old Male With Malaise and Fever After a Kidney Transplant
Chapter 55 A 4-Month-Old Infant With a History of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Who Underwent Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant and Presents With Pruritic Morbilliform Rash and Diarrhea
Chapter 56 A 4-Year-Old Boy Presents With Persistent Rash and Chronic Pruritis
Chapter 57 A 4-Year-Old Boy With Burning Sensation in the Chest and Abdominal Pain
Chapter 58 A 42-Year-Old Female Presents to the Emergency Department With Generalized Pruritus

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: July 20, 2026
  • Language: English

About the editors

RD

Raj Dasgupta

Raj Dasgupta is Raj Dasgupta is associate professor of clinical medicine, division of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine and is the associate program director of Internal Medicine residency program. He actively teaches USMLE Step 1, 2, 3, and Internal Medicine Board Review around the world for the past 15 years through Kaplan and other organizations and institutions. He has appeared on various media outlets and television shows such as The Doctors, KTLA and Larry King Now.
Affiliations and expertise
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of California, Riverside School of Medicine; Associate Program Director of Internal Medicine Residency, Huntington Health, Pasadena, California, USA

KR

Ken S. Rosenthal

Ken S. Rosenthal is Professor of Immunology at Augusta University, University of Georgia Medical Partnership, Athens, Georgia; Adjunct Professor Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine; Emeritus Professor Northeastern Ohio Medical University Rootstown, Ohio, USA.
Affiliations and expertise
Adjunct Professor Infectious Diseases University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine; Professor of Immunology Augusta University, University of Georgia Medical Partnership Athens, Georgia; Emeritus Professor Northeastern Ohio Medical University Rootstown, Ohio

MK

Michele Koolaee

Affiliations and expertise
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California

EB

Emily Blodget

Emily Blodget is Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine (Clinician Educator) at ACGME Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program Director, Co-Interim Chief for the Division of Infectious Diseases, School, Keck School of Medicine of USC.
Affiliations and expertise
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine (Clinician Educator), ACGME Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program Director, Co-Interim Chief for the Division of Infectious Diseases, School, Keck School of Medicine of USC, USA

SB

Susan Butler-Wu

Susan Butler-Wu is Director of Clinical Microbiology at LAC+USC Medical Center; Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology; Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Affiliations and expertise
Director of Clinical Microbiology, LAC+USC Medical Center; Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology; Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA

WG

Wendy Gould

Affiliations and expertise
Attending Physician, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Allergy and Immunology, Sussman Allergy, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

MP

Minto Porter

Minto Porter, Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Essentia Health, Brainerd.
Affiliations and expertise
Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Essentia Health, Brainerd, USA

RD

Raj Dasgupta

Raj Dasgupta is Raj Dasgupta is associate professor of clinical medicine, division of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine and is the associate program director of Internal Medicine residency program. He actively teaches USMLE Step 1, 2, 3, and Internal Medicine Board Review around the world for the past 15 years through Kaplan and other organizations and institutions. He has appeared on various media outlets and television shows such as The Doctors, KTLA and Larry King Now.
Affiliations and expertise
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of California, Riverside School of Medicine; Associate Program Director of Internal Medicine Residency, Huntington Health, Pasadena, California, USA