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A textbook of oral pathology
872
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Book reviews
when knowing "too m u c h . " The latter was not too often.
Victor J. Selmanowitz, M.D. New York, NY
1984 United States Pharmacopeia dispensing information Volume I: Drug information for the health care provider Volume II: Advice for the patient Rockville, MD, 1983, United States Pharmacopeial Convention, Inc., vol. I, 1278 pages; vol. II, 990 pages. $44.95 for two-volume set. This little note should serve as an update and reminder about this annual reference work. Its 1983 edition was more carefully reviewed in the August, 1983, issue of this JOURNAL on page 299. The format is simple. Volume I contains up-todate information on most drugs, written by nonpartisan professionals, while volume II contains patient information sheets that are arranged for easy duplication and distribution. The work has grown remarkably, b y about 20% since last year, so the more than 2,200 total pages occupy close to 3 inches on the bookshelf and are larger than our local metropolitan phone books. The material remains of high quality, although, as I complained last year, when a book is so big, it must include plenty of chaff along with the wheat. The bottom line in evaluating a book is user response. I gave this work a positive review, told my colleagues about it, and put last year's edition next to the Physicians' Desk Reference in our prescribing office used by thirteen dermatologists and countless other physicians and medical students. Today when I checked the old edition, it showed almost no sign of usage. Not one o f the residents recalled ever looking in the book or copying any information for a patient. The idea is sound: perhaps a similar effort just for dermatologic products would be more attractive to dermatologists.
Walter H. C. Burgdorf, M.D. Oklahoma City, OK
A textbook of oral pathology William G. Shafer, D.D.S., Maynard K. H i n e , D.D.S., Barnet M. Levy, D.D.S., and Charles E. Tomich, D.D.S., ed. 4, Philadelphia, 1983, W. B. Saunders Co. 917 pages. $36.50. Every dermatologist acknowledges the importance of oral diseases in the daily practice of dermatology. However, acquiring and maintaining knowledge about such diseases remains elusive. There are two basic sources of information about oral disease for dermatologists. One is texts about the oral mucosa written for dermatologists. T h e other is oral pathology texts, designed to t e a c h dentistry students. The standard introductory oral pathology book has just appeared in its fourth edition, and it is my pleasure to call it to the attention of the dermatologic readership. Oral Pathology has many sections that offer a variety of useful information to dermatologists a n d dermatopathologists. Some sections, such as those on oral infections, oral wounds, metabolic diseases, oral manifestations of hematologic disease, and, of course, skin diseases are of obvious v a l u e and require little explanation. But there is m o r e . The chapter on dental caries should be of interest to everyone forced to watch toothpaste c o m m e r cials on television. As a dermatopathologist, I a m always interested in a relatively simple approach to salivary gland tumors and odontogenic cysts. Both are lucidly discussed and illustrated here. Of course, books limited to strictly m u c o s a l disease may be of even more interest to the d e r matologist, as who can deny that we may not w a n t to read about periapical or periodontal disease. But those who share my view that American p h y sicians are woefully ignorant o f dentistry m a y even want to expand their horizons in previously unfamiliar areas. Criticisms of this book are few and far between. Some of the skin material is, of course, oversimplified. One might suggest enlisting a dermatologist for that chapter, but then one would need a hematologist, endrocrinologist, and soon the p e r sonal tightly edited nature of the text would b e destroyed. I opt for the status quo. There are, of course, other oral pathology texts, but none as timely, well-written, and low-priced.
Volume 10 Number 5, Part 1 May, 1984
Book reviews
873
Perhaps only the most omniverous readers will choose to purchase a copy for their private library, but Oral Pathology clearly belongs in every dermatology and dermatopathology department library.
cases of allergy reported in Belgium in the last 5 years. Highly purified white petrolatums are clearly superior to yellow petrolatums.
Walter H. C. Burgdorf, M.D. Oklahoma City, OK
This chapter contains a complete review of the history of the term "hypoallergenic." She points out that lanolin and parabens are not responsible for much ef allergic contact dermatitis. Perfumes remain the most common allergens. In the United States, I believe that fragrances and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives such as quaternium15 are the most common allergens today. Surprising to me was the fact that 15% of the topical pharmaceutical products sold in Belgium contain essential oils and other perfume ingredients, almost alI of which are therapeutically superfluous. I suspect that many of these products used on eczematized skin actually sensitize patients so that subsequently they react to fragrances and cosmetics containing fragrances. In summary, I believe this book represents a good text and reference source for dermatologists who use patch tests.
Allergic contact dermatitis to ingredients used in topically applied pharmaceutical products and cosmetics A. Dooms-Goossens, Belgium, 1983, Leuven University Press. 164 pages. $10.75, U.S.; 580 FB (francs). This book represents a comprehensive, wellbalanced dissertation with a good bibliography on the field of allergic contact dermatitis to topically applied pharmaceutical products and cosmetics. The book is divided into three chapters. Chapter I: The contact dermatitis index: A computer assisted monitoring system The author, who is Belgian, has devised a CODEX system that consists of three computerreadable files providing a patient file, a products file, and a literature file. This system is very comprehensive and is useful to a patient who has sustained an allergic reaction so that he or she can find which products to use or not to use. This system, of course, is applicable only to Belgium. In Belgium all topical pharmaceutical products are required by law to be labeled, whereas cosmetics are not labeled as to ingredients. In America, cosmetics have been labeled since 1977, but pharmaceutical topical products need list only the active ingredients. Chapter II: The influence of external factors on allergenicity This is a comprehensive chapter on the mechanism of sensitization and the many factors that influence this phenomenon. The author goes into great detail about the sensitization phenomenon in yellow petrolatum, which is due to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. She concludes by stating that an allergy to petrolatum is rare--only three
Chapter IlI: Hypoallergenicity
Walter G. Larsen, M.D. Portland, OR
The nurse's atlas of dermatology Theodore Rosen, M.D., Marilyn B. Lanning, R.N., B.S.N., and Marcia J. Hill, R.N., M.S.N., Boston, 1983, Little, Brown & Co. 203 pages. $24.50. In their preface, the authors state that the intent of this text is to provide a "systematic presentation of basic dermatologic information designed for nurses." It is recognized in the preface, as well as periodically throughout the book, that the reader may wish to consult a more comprehensive textbook of dermatology. The authors provide an extensive bibliography after each chapter as a convenient reference source. Criticisms of this book are few. I believe the authors have succeeded in providing an excellent manual of dermatology for today's nurse. This book begins with a synopsis chapter on the basic anatomy and physiology of the skin, fol-
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Book reviews
when knowing "too m u c h . " The latter was not too often.
Victor J. Selmanowitz, M.D. New York, NY
1984 United States Pharmacopeia dispensing information Volume I: Drug information for the health care provider Volume II: Advice for the patient Rockville, MD, 1983, United States Pharmacopeial Convention, Inc., vol. I, 1278 pages; vol. II, 990 pages. $44.95 for two-volume set. This little note should serve as an update and reminder about this annual reference work. Its 1983 edition was more carefully reviewed in the August, 1983, issue of this JOURNAL on page 299. The format is simple. Volume I contains up-todate information on most drugs, written by nonpartisan professionals, while volume II contains patient information sheets that are arranged for easy duplication and distribution. The work has grown remarkably, b y about 20% since last year, so the more than 2,200 total pages occupy close to 3 inches on the bookshelf and are larger than our local metropolitan phone books. The material remains of high quality, although, as I complained last year, when a book is so big, it must include plenty of chaff along with the wheat. The bottom line in evaluating a book is user response. I gave this work a positive review, told my colleagues about it, and put last year's edition next to the Physicians' Desk Reference in our prescribing office used by thirteen dermatologists and countless other physicians and medical students. Today when I checked the old edition, it showed almost no sign of usage. Not one o f the residents recalled ever looking in the book or copying any information for a patient. The idea is sound: perhaps a similar effort just for dermatologic products would be more attractive to dermatologists.
Walter H. C. Burgdorf, M.D. Oklahoma City, OK
A textbook of oral pathology William G. Shafer, D.D.S., Maynard K. H i n e , D.D.S., Barnet M. Levy, D.D.S., and Charles E. Tomich, D.D.S., ed. 4, Philadelphia, 1983, W. B. Saunders Co. 917 pages. $36.50. Every dermatologist acknowledges the importance of oral diseases in the daily practice of dermatology. However, acquiring and maintaining knowledge about such diseases remains elusive. There are two basic sources of information about oral disease for dermatologists. One is texts about the oral mucosa written for dermatologists. T h e other is oral pathology texts, designed to t e a c h dentistry students. The standard introductory oral pathology book has just appeared in its fourth edition, and it is my pleasure to call it to the attention of the dermatologic readership. Oral Pathology has many sections that offer a variety of useful information to dermatologists a n d dermatopathologists. Some sections, such as those on oral infections, oral wounds, metabolic diseases, oral manifestations of hematologic disease, and, of course, skin diseases are of obvious v a l u e and require little explanation. But there is m o r e . The chapter on dental caries should be of interest to everyone forced to watch toothpaste c o m m e r cials on television. As a dermatopathologist, I a m always interested in a relatively simple approach to salivary gland tumors and odontogenic cysts. Both are lucidly discussed and illustrated here. Of course, books limited to strictly m u c o s a l disease may be of even more interest to the d e r matologist, as who can deny that we may not w a n t to read about periapical or periodontal disease. But those who share my view that American p h y sicians are woefully ignorant o f dentistry m a y even want to expand their horizons in previously unfamiliar areas. Criticisms of this book are few and far between. Some of the skin material is, of course, oversimplified. One might suggest enlisting a dermatologist for that chapter, but then one would need a hematologist, endrocrinologist, and soon the p e r sonal tightly edited nature of the text would b e destroyed. I opt for the status quo. There are, of course, other oral pathology texts, but none as timely, well-written, and low-priced.
Volume 10 Number 5, Part 1 May, 1984
Book reviews
873
Perhaps only the most omniverous readers will choose to purchase a copy for their private library, but Oral Pathology clearly belongs in every dermatology and dermatopathology department library.
cases of allergy reported in Belgium in the last 5 years. Highly purified white petrolatums are clearly superior to yellow petrolatums.
Walter H. C. Burgdorf, M.D. Oklahoma City, OK
This chapter contains a complete review of the history of the term "hypoallergenic." She points out that lanolin and parabens are not responsible for much ef allergic contact dermatitis. Perfumes remain the most common allergens. In the United States, I believe that fragrances and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives such as quaternium15 are the most common allergens today. Surprising to me was the fact that 15% of the topical pharmaceutical products sold in Belgium contain essential oils and other perfume ingredients, almost alI of which are therapeutically superfluous. I suspect that many of these products used on eczematized skin actually sensitize patients so that subsequently they react to fragrances and cosmetics containing fragrances. In summary, I believe this book represents a good text and reference source for dermatologists who use patch tests.
Allergic contact dermatitis to ingredients used in topically applied pharmaceutical products and cosmetics A. Dooms-Goossens, Belgium, 1983, Leuven University Press. 164 pages. $10.75, U.S.; 580 FB (francs). This book represents a comprehensive, wellbalanced dissertation with a good bibliography on the field of allergic contact dermatitis to topically applied pharmaceutical products and cosmetics. The book is divided into three chapters. Chapter I: The contact dermatitis index: A computer assisted monitoring system The author, who is Belgian, has devised a CODEX system that consists of three computerreadable files providing a patient file, a products file, and a literature file. This system is very comprehensive and is useful to a patient who has sustained an allergic reaction so that he or she can find which products to use or not to use. This system, of course, is applicable only to Belgium. In Belgium all topical pharmaceutical products are required by law to be labeled, whereas cosmetics are not labeled as to ingredients. In America, cosmetics have been labeled since 1977, but pharmaceutical topical products need list only the active ingredients. Chapter II: The influence of external factors on allergenicity This is a comprehensive chapter on the mechanism of sensitization and the many factors that influence this phenomenon. The author goes into great detail about the sensitization phenomenon in yellow petrolatum, which is due to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. She concludes by stating that an allergy to petrolatum is rare--only three
Chapter IlI: Hypoallergenicity
Walter G. Larsen, M.D. Portland, OR
The nurse's atlas of dermatology Theodore Rosen, M.D., Marilyn B. Lanning, R.N., B.S.N., and Marcia J. Hill, R.N., M.S.N., Boston, 1983, Little, Brown & Co. 203 pages. $24.50. In their preface, the authors state that the intent of this text is to provide a "systematic presentation of basic dermatologic information designed for nurses." It is recognized in the preface, as well as periodically throughout the book, that the reader may wish to consult a more comprehensive textbook of dermatology. The authors provide an extensive bibliography after each chapter as a convenient reference source. Criticisms of this book are few. I believe the authors have succeeded in providing an excellent manual of dermatology for today's nurse. This book begins with a synopsis chapter on the basic anatomy and physiology of the skin, fol-