BOOK REVIEWS
Croat Med J 2005;46(3):481-486
Underwood JCE, editor. General and Systematic Pathology,
4th ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 2004. 839 pages;
ISBN-0-443-07334-1; price: $73.95
Field of Medicine: Pathology, histopa- The book contains numerous color illus-
thology, clinical pathology. trations, dealing predominantly with macroscopic
and microscopic aspects of pathology. There are
Format: Soft cover.
also useful diagrams and schematic drawings.
Audience: Students of medicine, veteri- Some data, such as incidence of various tumors,
nary medicine, dentistry, pathologists, and pathol- are presented in the form of graphs or annotated
ogists in training. geographic maps. Molecular biology data, cytoge-
Purpose: To introduce the students of netic findings, and contemporary laboratory find-
human or animal medicine and various related ings important for the understanding of disease
disciplines to pathology, and to prepare them for processes are illustrated whenever appropriate.
the study of diseases in clinical setting and ulti- Highlights: As stated by Professor
mately clinical medicine. Underwood in the prefatory notes, editing of com-
Content: The book is divided into three prehensive pathology textbooks is a Sisyphean
main sections: Basic Pathology, Disease Mecha- task. Medical students worldwide will be grateful
nisms, and Systematic Pathology. The first section to him that he did not give up and that he managed
comprises four chapters, including Introduction to to revise his book on time for its fourth edition.
Pathology; Characteristics, Classification and Inci- I had the opportunity to attend a dinner
dence of Disease; Genetic and Environmental with professor Underwood while he was working
Causes of Disease, and Diagnostic Pathology in on this revision and realized how complicated an
Clinical Practice. The second section includes undertaking that was. I also learned that “Under-
chapters entitled Disorders of Growth; Differentia- wood,” as students in the United Kingdom call his
tion and Morphogenesis; Response to Cellular In- book, is the most popular pathology textbook in
jury; Disorders of Metabolism and Homeostasis; the country. I should add that this is quite remark-
Ischaemia, Infarction and Shock; Immunology and able, since pathology in the UK is not taught any-
Immunopathology; Inflammation; Carcinogenesis more as a separate subject, but as a part of a
and Neoplasia; and Ageing and Death. The third multidisciplinary curriculum. I do not know and
part deals with systematic pathology and is di- am not sure whether even Professor Underwood
vided into 14 chapters corresponding to the main himself knows why the book is so popular. Do
organ systems, from cardiovascular and respira- British students buy it because teachers recom-
tory systems to the central nervous system. At the mend the book, or are they required to purchase
end of the book, there is a glossary of basic pathol- it? Do students buy it for utilitarian reasons (“to
ogy terms and a very useful alphabetic index, com- survive medical school”), or maybe because they
prising almost 40 pages. feel that they really need something more concrete
www.cmj.hr 481
Croat Med J 2005;46(3):481-486
and systematic than lectures? Maybe they use it liked the tabular lists of main signs and symptoms,
only as a reference and resort to the book only oc- in which each clinical finding is accompanied by
casionally. In any case, it is nice to know that stu- a brief pathophysiologic explanation.
dents buy and like pathology books of this kind, The book hails from Sheffield and al-
and that pathology books have a future, even in a most a half of all the contributors are from Profes-
multidisciplinary medical school curriculum. sor Underwood’s University. Like any other multi-
The book is, if I remember the conversa- authored book, some chapters are better than oth-
tion with Professor Underwood well, also used in ers, but most of them are very good. Some chap-
other countries outside of the UK. Even a brief pe- ters, especially some of the general pathology
rusal of the book will tell you why: it is an example pieces authored by the Editor, could be consid-
of concise British writing and teaching at its best. ered as outstanding.
The text is elegantly structured, subdivided into At the end of each chapter, there are re-
logical subsections and paragraphs, and supple- cent references for further reading.
mented with good illustrations, summary tables Limitations: I did not notice any major
and diagrams. Many topics are presented in a limitations. Some microphotographs may be a bit
bulleted form and the important words are set in too complex for medical students (for example
italics. It is a very student-friendly book and it reads complex vs atypical hyperplasia of the endometri-
well. um) and would be easier understood by a novice
The material is presented comprehen- reader if properly marked up.
sively and systematically. The highlights of the Related reading: This UK textbook
book are brief outlines summarizing the salient fea- competes with another UK textbook (Stevens and
tures of each disease. These summary statements Lowe), which is much shorter but contains more
serve as take-home messages and could only facili- illustrations. Underwood’s General and System-
tate learning. Composite drawings of clinical signs atic Pathology is shorter than the leading Ameri-
and symptoms, summarizing the principal clinical can textbooks of pathology, such as the Robbins
findings in important diseases or their complica- and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease (edited by
tions are yet another highlight. Color-coded page Kumar V, Abbas AK, and Fausto N), Rubin’s Pa-
sides make the book easier to use and contribute to thology – Clinicopathologic Foundations of Medi-
cine (edited by Rubin E, Gorstein F, Rubin R,
its esthetic appeal.
Schwarting R, and Strayer D); it is more compara-
The book has a clinical orientation and ble in size to the shorter versions of these text-
the pathology findings are frequently correlated books.
with the clinical data. This is especially well done Marin Nola
in the chapters dealing with systematic pathology.
BOOK REVIEW
marin.nola@zg.htnet.hr
Among the various presentation approaches, I
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Croat Med J 2005;46(3):481-486
Cagle PT, editor. Color Atlas and Text of Pulmonary Pathology,
Philadelphia (PA): Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2005. 675
pages; ISBN 0-7817-3453-3; price: $275.00
Field of Medicine: Anatomic pathology, logic aspects of infectious diseases are also pre-
cytopathology, pulmonary medicine. sented. The reader will easily find representative
Format: Hardcover. pictures of common diseases such “owl eye nu-
clei,” of cytomegalovirus-infected alveolar cells,
Audience: Practicing pathologists and
but also uncommon pathogens such as Parago-
cytopathologists, pathologists in training, pulmo-
nimus westermani. Without exception, the illus-
nologists, thoracic surgeons.
trations are all of highest quality and reproduced
Purpose: To provide a diagnostic manual in an attractive format. The editors and contribu-
of pulmonary pathology and cytopathology to hos- tors deserve congratulations for the material that
pital based laboratory diagnosticians dealing with they have assembled in this volume.
various aspects of lung diseases.
The book covers pulmonary pathology
Content: The book is divided into 150
most comprehensively. Common and more im-
chapters, grouped into 24 sections. The book be-
portant diseases are illustrated in greater detail
gins with an overview of normal microscopic anat-
than the less common diseases. Still, there are
omy and cytology of the bronchi and lungs. A short
more than enough pages set apart to include new
section is devoted to artifacts and age related
entities and rare diseases such as Erdheim-Chester
changes. All other sections deal with neoplastic
disease or hantavirus infection. Severe acute re-
and non-neoplastic lung diseases. The references
spiratory syndrome (SARS), caused by corona-
for each section are given at the end of the book.
virus SARS-RoV and recognized during the 2002
Each chapter is structured uniformly to epidemic, is also presented.
include a brief description of the disease under the
BOOK REVIEW
discussion, a list of typical microscopic findings, This multiauthored book contains texts
and several color photographs illustrating these di- and illustrations provided by 36 pathologists,
agnostic features. Cytologic findings are included most of whom are from the United States. The
whenever a cytopathologic examination is expect- contributions from Mexico, Philippines, Austria,
ed to provide diagnostic data. and Turkey give the book an international flair.
The team effort was coordinated by Dr Philip
Highlights: This is an atlas of pulmonary
Cagle, who was aided by seven associate editors.
pathology and cytopathology which, as stated on
The Editor-in-Chief and his Associate Editors
the back cover of the book, was prepared to serve
coauthored many chapters and obviously worked
“as a roadmap to faster, more accurate diagnosis of
very closely with other authors. This approach
pulmonary disease.” As in any other atlas, the em-
probably accounts for the cohesiveness of the text
phasis is on illustrations, which are informative
and the uniformity of presentation of the material
and attractive. Most photographs were prepared
in each and every chapter.
from microscopic slides, but there are also quite a
few figures of gross specimens culled from the au- This book belongs to the surgical pa-
topsy or surgical pathology files. As one would ex- thology sign-out room and should be kept close to
pect, exfoliative and fine needle aspiration cytol- the microscope. I anticipate that it will be used
ogy findings are most numerous in the chapters primarily as a diagnostic aid and for quick refer-
dealing with tumors. Nevertheless, the cytopatho- ence. However, residents and fellows studying
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Croat Med J 2005;46(3):481-486
pulmonary pathology might find in it a substitute Related reading: At present, there are
for more verbose textbooks and read it cover to no comprehensive atlases of pulmonary pathol-
cover. The book could also help them prepare for ogy and from that point of view this book is
specialty examinations. unique. Readers looking for more detailed textual
Limitations: I did not notice major limita- coverage of the same material could consult Prac-
tions of this book. The layout might have been tical Pulmonary Pathology: A Diagnostic Ap-
maybe somewhat more compact to avoid so many proach, by KO Leslie, and M Wick.
blank pages, but this is my personal bias. This mi-
nor quibble should not detract the potential read- Ivan Damjanov
ers from this first class atlas. Idamjano@kumc.edu
Riede U-N, Werner M, Schäfer H-E. Allgemeine und spezielle
Pathologie, 5th completely revised edition. Stuttgart: Georg
Thieme Verlag; 2004. 1236 pages; 1720 illustrations. ISBN
3-13-683305-8; price: € 79.95
Field of Medicine: Anatomic pathology, those devoted to the cardiovascular system, respi-
histopathology, molecular medicine, clinical pa- ratory system, digestive system, hepatopancreatic
thology, and laboratory medicine. system, urinary system, female genital organs and
Format: Hardcover. the placenta, male genital system, skin, endocrine
system, nervous system, and skeleto-muscular
Audience: Medical students, pathology
BOOK REVIEW
system. At the end of the book there is a glossary
teachers, pathology residents. The textbook can
of the most common terms.
also be used by professors in other medical disci-
plines and basic sciences. It can also be used by The book is lavishly illustrated and con-
professors of veterinary and dental medicine, but it tains 1,720 illustrations, most of which are in
is too detailed for their students. color. Illustrations present various aspects of mac-
Purpose: To present pathology to stu- roscopic, microscopic, and submicroscopic pa-
dents of medicine in the traditional format, as thology, numerous diagrams, and conceptual
taught in most European medical schools. multicolored drawings presenting the crucial
concepts in a simplified format.
Content: The book is divided into 20
chapters, covering general and systemic pathol- Highlights: This is a well-thought-
ogy. General pathology is presented in eight chap- through edition of the leading German textbook
ters, which include a general discussion about life, of pathology widely used in the German speaking
disease and death, cell pathology and pathology of countries of Europe. It has been also popular with
the extracellular material, disturbances of metabo- professors of pathology in other European coun-
lism, response to injury, disturbances of inheri- tries, especially in those where the classical
tance and development, disturbances of cell Virchow-Rokitansky traditions are still alive. The
growth, and disturbances of circulation. The 12 fact that the book is now in its fifth edition since
chapters dealing with systemic pathology include 1986 and the fact that it is accompanied by a soft
484
Croat Med J 2005;46(3):481-486
cover digest of the pictures attest to its popularity plete without mentioning numerous high quality
and usefulness. photographs, line drawings, and diagrams. Without
The list of contributors reads like a list exception, the illustrations are first class. My compli-
of who-is-who of German, Austrian, and Swiss ments to the contributors and, above all, the editors
pathology and includes over 40 pathologists who chose them so judiciously. I especially liked the
from various medical schools. The book was ed- occasional museum reproductions that add a touch of
ited by the triumvirate from Freiburg, headed by class, like Albrecht Dürer’s painting of a rachitic child
the spiritus movens and the consummate medi- or an Egyptian bas-relief of a polio-stricken man
cal educator Professor Ursus-Nikolaus Riede, for showing atrophy of the leg muscles,. My absolute fa-
whom this book is obviously a labor of love. vorite is, however, the white blood (“leukemia”)
squirting out of the beheaded body of Saint Katharine
In many respects this is a typical Ger-
of Alexandria! Such illustrations will stay in students’
man book, and by that I meant to give the au-
minds longer than microphotographs and will remind
thors a compliment. Its “Germanic” aspects that
them longer and more consistently of the crucial role
I admired the most are the systemic approach,
that pathology played in their medical education.
thorough coverage of the material, logical pre-
sentation of the facts, and emphasis on didactics. Limitations: This is an excellent textbook
To this end, each and every major disease is pre- and I do not have significant complains. One could
sented in a standardized format. In essence, all argue whether it was wise not to use references at the
contributors were asked to adhere to the unified end of each chapter, but on the other hand, since this
format of presentation and cover their topics un- is a book for medical students, I fully understand the
der the following headings: Definition, Patho- reasons for eliminating them. One could also argue
genesis, Morphology. Whenever indicated, a whether the list of diseases discussed is too long, but
paragraph on etiology and clinical aspects of I think that there is no harm in trying to be too com-
that disease is included. Since this is a textbook prehensive and including even some esoteric or rare
of pathology, the clinical data are usually pre- pathologic entities like cholaskos. I happen to be-
sented in smaller font size and also marked with long to the school of educators who believe that a
a color line on the side, to make them stand out true textbook should differ from a mere outline and
separately from the main body of the textbook. that students should study – actively pick and choose
Personally, I like this approach, probably be- from the material that they have been offered.
cause I was imprinted by it in the early sixties Related reading: This German textbook
while studying medicine at the University in compares favorably with the standard American and
Zagreb, Croatia. Comments of current Croatian British textbooks of pathology such as the Robbins
students of medicine who were asked to criticize and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease (edited by
our new Croatian textbooks of pathology (pub- Kumar V, Abbas AK, Fausto N), Rubin’s Pathology –
lished in 2004) indicate that the tradition is still Clinicopathologic Foundations of Medicine (edited
alive, and that they also prefer a systematic by Rubin E, Gorstein F, Rubin R, Schwarting R,
approach over discursive narration in a text- Strayer D) and General and Systemic Pathology (ed-
book. ited by Underwood JCE).
Pathology is a visual discipline and a Ivan Damjanov
review of a pathology textbook would be incom- Idamjano@kumc.edu
485
Croat Med J 2005;46(3):481-486
Blumenthal M, Brinckmann J, Wollschlaeger B. The ABC
Clinical Guide to Herbs. Austin (TX): American Botanical
Council; 2003. 480 pages; ISBN 3-13-132391-4; price: $69.95
Field of medicine: Herbal medicine. Most tables are divided into subsections
Format: Hardcover book. dealing with the primary research parameter of
the study. Tables include author and year, subject,
Audience: Physicians, pharmacists, design, duration, dose, preparation used, and re-
nurses, nutritionists, other healthcare profession- sults/conclusions of the study. Since this book is
als, and patients. not intended to offer detailed information on each
Purpose: To expand the knowledge of herb, all chapters are very concise and concrete,
healthcare practitioners in the area of herbal medi- with emphasis on clinical research performed on
cine, and to provide health professionals with each of selected herb.
quick information on the most widely used herb Highlights: The popularity of herbal
products. medicine is growing and general practitioners are
Contents: The book is divided into 29 more and more often treating patients who, be-
chapters, each dedicated to a single herb. These sides allopathic treatment, use many herbal prep-
herbs are among best-selling and most popular in arations. These physicians are the ones who will
the USA. Each chapter contains a clinical over- find this book most useful, because it offers evi-
view, patient information sheet, and comprehen- dence-based approach to herbal medicine, pro-
sive monograph. vides their adverse effects and contraindications,
as well as information on interactions with other
Clinical overviews are intended to pro- drugs. Although there are many books on this sub-
vide health professionals with quick information ject, it is very difficult to find the book so expertly
on the most commonly used herb products. The written, reviewed, and evidence-based as the
most interesting section provides doses for differ- ABC guide to herbs. This book is valuable guide
ent types of preparations. Patient information sheets for physicians and other healthcare professionals,
are meant for photocopying and distribution to the containing simple, concrete, and scientifically ap-
BOOK REVIEW
patients in order to assist practitioners in conveying proved data. It provides references for most im-
the important information to their patients. The portant clinical trials on selected herbs. Its concise
monographs include the following sections: Over- and concrete form makes it easily comprehensi-
view, Description, Uses (Primary Uses and Other ble reading.
Potential Uses), Dosage, Duration of Administra-
Limitations: The main limitation of this
tion, Chemistry, Pharmacological Actions, Mecha-
book is the small number of described herbs.
nisms of Action, Contraindications, Adverse Ef-
Related reading: The same publisher of-
fects, Drug Interactions, APHA Safety Rating, Reg-
fers a wide range of similar books: Duke JA,
ulatory Status in USA and other Industrialized Na-
Bogenschutz-Godwin MJ, Ducellier J. CRC hand-
tions, Clinical Review, and Table of Clinical Stud-
book of medicinal spices, 2002; Lewis WH, Lewis
ies. The sheets provide the essence of the informa-
MP. Medical botany: plants affecting human
tion given in the monographs. Each section is sup-
health, 2nd ed., 2003; Schulz V, Hänsel R, Tyler V.
ported with references to: clinical trials, pharmaco-
Rational phytotherapy: a reference guide for physi-
logical studies, toxicological studies, chemical
cians and pharmacists. 5th ed., 2004; and Mills S,
analyses, books, and review articles.
Bone K. Essential guide to herbal safety; 2005.
At the end of each chapter, a list of the
published clinical trials on a particular herb is pro- Ana Ivaniš
vided, except for the goldenseal root. aivanis@mef.hr
486
