A colour atlas of tranuma pathology. H. Fischer and C. J. Kirkpatrick. Wolfe Publishing, London,...
1
JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY, VOL. 165: 359-361 (1991) BOOK REVIEWS A Colour Atlas of Trauma Pathology. H. FISCHER and C. J. KIRKPATRICK. Wolfe Publishing, London, 1991. No. of pages: 136. Price: E48.00. ISBN: 0 7234 1566 8. Some might say, ‘Oh God, not another forensic atlas!’, for there seems to be a compulsion (from which this reviewer is by no means immune), on the part of pathol- ogists who perform large numbers of autopsies on victims of trauma, to wish to see their picture collection published in glorious Technicolor! This new book is one of the well-known series of Wolfe Medical Atlases, which is a sufficient warranty of produc- tion excellence, though it must be said that compared to several other similar atlases produced by that publisher, such as the ones on forensic pathology and forensic den- tistry, the colour reproduction seems a little gaudy. This may well be due to the large number ofphotomicrographs with dense and garish stains, as the pictures of gross specimens are much better. The authors come from two German institutes and express the hope that the book might be of use to their clinical colleagues who have the care of trauma victims and to clinical and forensic pathologists. The problem with books of this type is to identify the audience at which they are aimed. This particular atlas seems to fall into the gap between forensic pathology and ‘straight’ pathology. It certainly does not aspire to be a text on what one might call ‘criminal pathology’, though it makes somewhat superficial forays into knife, firearm, and blunt injuries. There are more photomicrographs than gross photo- graphs and many of the former seem rather unhelpful, in that the lesions they depict are so obvious as to be redun- dant. Examples are sections of skin with missing epider- mis due to the impact of bullets or knives, which seems too self-evident to need a picture. The subjects covered are certainly not comprehensive and the depth of coverage is very variable. Returning to the potential readership, it seems likely that the atlas would be ofmost use to the ‘hospital’pathol- ogist who has to deal with autopsies on non-criminal deaths, such as accidents and suicides. The full-time for- ensic pathologist would either have a better collection of his own pictures or sufficient experience not to need more illustrations of these run-of-the-mill cases. A trainee for- ensic pathologist would need a far greater depth of infor- mation and less repetitive photomicrographs; there is already a surfeit of forensic text-books and atlases available for this class of reader. I doubt if many medical students, already overwhelmed with an avalanche of didactic teaching in a dozen other subjects, would feel the need to spend &48 on an atlas of injury pathology-if they wanted spectacular or horrific illustrations, the pure forensic books provide better value. We are thus left with the histopathologist (in his morbid anatomical guise, rather than wearing his biopsy hat), who may be attracted to some deeper study of the injurious autopsy. This might be at trainee or consultant level, though my experience of autopsy histology sections in general hospital pathology is that they fall progressively behind the biopsy load and linger to gather more dust at the back of the bench, until the legal processes are long past and their significance becomes merely historical. In summary, this is a book which lies on the rather vague interface between forensic and general pathology. There is little or nothing in it which a consultant pathol- ogist of either histological or forensic speciality does not-or should not-already know. However, as an aide- mkmoire, it could be useful, and to those trainees in either discipline who feel the need to add to their collection of other more essential books. it can be recommended. BERNARD KNIGHT University of Wales College of Medieine Cardif Comprehensive Cytopathology. M. BIBBO (Ed.). W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, 1991. No. of pages: 1101. Price: f85.00. ISBN: 0 7216 2937 7. This book, which is in one volume, is 1101 pages long and has 52 contributors. Its 39 chapters are divided into three parts. In Part I (General Cytology) are chapters on basic cell structure, clinical cytogenetics, cytology screen- ing programmes, quality assurance in cytopathology, and methods of evaluating a cell sample. Part I1 is Diagnostic Cytology, in which the chapters present the information in a uniform format that includes the cell features and basic histology of various lesions including differential diagnoses. It is organized into four sections. Section A is seven chapters on the female genital tract; Section B is nine chapters on the cytology of various body sites includ- ing the respiratory tract, alimentary tract, urinary tract, central nervous system, eye, soft tissue and bone, skin, and serous fluids; Section C is eight chapters on fine needle aspiration cytodiagnosis of various organs; and Section D is a single chapter on the effects of therapy on cytology specimens. Part 111 consists of special techniques in cytopathology . 0 1991 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
-
Upload
bernard-knight -
Category
Documents
-
view
218 -
download
4
Transcript of A colour atlas of tranuma pathology. H. Fischer and C. J. Kirkpatrick. Wolfe Publishing, London,...
JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY, VOL. 165: 359-361 (1991)
BOOK REVIEWS
A Colour Atlas of Trauma Pathology. H. FISCHER and C. J. KIRKPATRICK. Wolfe Publishing, London, 1991. No. of pages: 136. Price: E48.00. ISBN: 0 7234 1566 8.
Some might say, ‘Oh God, not another forensic atlas!’, for there seems to be a compulsion (from which this reviewer is by no means immune), on the part of pathol- ogists who perform large numbers of autopsies on victims of trauma, to wish to see their picture collection published in glorious Technicolor!
This new book is one of the well-known series of Wolfe Medical Atlases, which is a sufficient warranty of produc- tion excellence, though it must be said that compared to several other similar atlases produced by that publisher, such as the ones on forensic pathology and forensic den- tistry, the colour reproduction seems a little gaudy. This may well be due to the large number ofphotomicrographs with dense and garish stains, as the pictures of gross specimens are much better.
The authors come from two German institutes and express the hope that the book might be of use to their clinical colleagues who have the care of trauma victims and to clinical and forensic pathologists. The problem with books of this type is to identify the audience at which they are aimed. This particular atlas seems to fall into the gap between forensic pathology and ‘straight’ pathology. It certainly does not aspire to be a text on what one might call ‘criminal pathology’, though it makes somewhat superficial forays into knife, firearm, and blunt injuries.
There are more photomicrographs than gross photo- graphs and many of the former seem rather unhelpful, in that the lesions they depict are so obvious as to be redun- dant. Examples are sections of skin with missing epider- mis due to the impact of bullets or knives, which seems too self-evident to need a picture. The subjects covered are certainly not comprehensive and the depth of coverage is very variable.
Returning to the potential readership, it seems likely that the atlas would be ofmost use to the ‘hospital’ pathol- ogist who has to deal with autopsies on non-criminal deaths, such as accidents and suicides. The full-time for- ensic pathologist would either have a better collection of his own pictures or sufficient experience not to need more illustrations of these run-of-the-mill cases. A trainee for- ensic pathologist would need a far greater depth of infor- mation and less repetitive photomicrographs; there is already a surfeit of forensic text-books and atlases available for this class of reader.
I doubt if many medical students, already overwhelmed with an avalanche of didactic teaching in a dozen other
subjects, would feel the need to spend &48 on an atlas of injury pathology-if they wanted spectacular or horrific illustrations, the pure forensic books provide better value.
We are thus left with the histopathologist (in his morbid anatomical guise, rather than wearing his biopsy hat), who may be attracted to some deeper study of the injurious autopsy. This might be at trainee or consultant level, though my experience of autopsy histology sections in general hospital pathology is that they fall progressively behind the biopsy load and linger to gather more dust a t the back of the bench, until the legal processes are long past and their significance becomes merely historical.
In summary, this is a book which lies on the rather vague interface between forensic and general pathology. There is little or nothing in it which a consultant pathol- ogist of either histological or forensic speciality does not-or should not-already know. However, as an aide- mkmoire, it could be useful, and to those trainees in either discipline who feel the need to add to their collection of other more essential books. it can be recommended.
BERNARD KNIGHT University of Wales College of Medieine
Cardif
Comprehensive Cytopathology. M. BIBBO (Ed.). W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, 1991. No. of pages: 1101. Price: f85.00. ISBN: 0 7216 2937 7.
This book, which is in one volume, is 1101 pages long and has 52 contributors. Its 39 chapters are divided into three parts. In Part I (General Cytology) are chapters on basic cell structure, clinical cytogenetics, cytology screen- ing programmes, quality assurance in cytopathology, and methods of evaluating a cell sample. Part I1 is Diagnostic Cytology, in which the chapters present the information in a uniform format that includes the cell features and basic histology of various lesions including differential diagnoses. It is organized into four sections. Section A is seven chapters on the female genital tract; Section B is nine chapters on the cytology of various body sites includ- ing the respiratory tract, alimentary tract, urinary tract, central nervous system, eye, soft tissue and bone, skin, and serous fluids; Section C is eight chapters on fine needle aspiration cytodiagnosis of various organs; and Section D is a single chapter on the effects of therapy on cytology specimens. Part 111 consists of special techniques in cytopathology .
0 1991 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
