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Disorders of Thrombin Formation
Pathology (1984), 16, pp. 225-229
BOOK REVIEWS
Clinical Neuropathology. R. 0 . WELLER, M . SWASH,D. L. MCLELLAN A N D C. L. SCHOLTZ Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York. 1983 ISBN 3-540-1 1685-0. US$40.00. 329 pp., 209 figures. This new book on clinical neuropathology is written by 13 authors. The subject matter is presented at the mid-level being planned for students of neurology and pathology and for the general physician. It would also serve as a concise reference for pathologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons and neuroradiologists. As explained by the 4 chief contributors the book was not intended to be a comprehensive fully documented review of neuropathology but an integrated practical text referring to clinical neurology, neurosurgery and to some extent neuroradiology. This approach is most apt because, by its nature, neuropathology is intimately linked with the clinical disciplines. Thus the work should aid the clinician in his approach to the bedside problem particularly in terms of diagnosis and management. As would be expected the larger sections of the book concern more the common disorders such as vascular disease, trauma and neoplasia. It is also quite reasonable that the book should begin with a section on the history of neurology and neuropathology. The reader is also prepared for the ensuing material by an introductory chapter on histology and neuroanatomy. The monograph is well produced, amply illustrated and key references are provided at the end of each chapter. The sections on metabolic diseases of the nervous system and muscle disease are particularly good. This new book on clinical neuropathology fills the gap between the traditional textbooks and the comprehensive handbooks. Although it will have appeal to all of the groups referred to by the authors it should be of special value to the neurologist both in training and practice.
Byron A . Kakulas
Hisioputhology of Skin Diseases (in German). Eds. T. NASEMANN, M. JANNER A N D B. SCHUTTE. 1982 Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York. 240 pp. DM 36;; approx. US$15.10. ISBN 3-540-10952-8 This small and well illustrated book is intended to be an introduction to dermatopathology written for undergraduates of medicine and for scientific laboratory assistants. Its illustrations, tables and schematic hi5topathological drawings are certainly a helpful aid for beginners. I t was written to be beside the microscope rather than to gather dust on the shelf and is certainly a very helpful innovation. It is an extension of the Textbook of Dermatology published by the same editors and written by Nasemann and Sauerbrey of the University of Hamburg. The clarity of this book matches the clarity of the Textbook of Dermatology, which rightly enjoys great popularity and went to several revisions since its original publication in 1974. This addition to the Textbook of Dermatology is in its first edition and the authors invite criticism in order to improve it for future editions. One can see the usefulness of the schematic drawings under the very good black and white illustrations which help the beginner to see what he is looking at under the microscope. The tables of the essentials of histopathology, of the illustrated dermatoses are also of high didactic value, giving the essentials of the histopathological changes in a nutshell. I f there is any possible criticism to be levelled it is the inclusion of some clinical tables, e.g. the essentials of the clinical diagnosis of lichen
planus (p. 113). or the essentials of the keratoses (pp. 96-97), the pathogenic factors of scleroderma (p. 85) etc. I think that these could be left out since the book is a companion volume of a very good schematic textbook of dermatology. Their space could be utilized to extend the number of illustrations of histopathology instead. I t would be worth while to have an English edition of this book.
Emery Kotsard
Disorders of Thrombin Formation, Ed. ROBERTW. COIM A N . 1983 Churchill Livingstone, Austr. Distr.: Longman Cheshire Group, Melbourne. 161 pp., illustrated. ISBN 0 443 08154 0. $64.00. This is Volume 7 in the series Methods in Hematology. One problem with the book is the title which would deter all but the dedicated coagulationist. Most coagulation defects result in disordered thrombin formation, but the editor has excluded consideration of Factors V l l l and IX (dealt with in a previous volume in the series) and fibrin formation and fibrinolysis (reserved for a further volume). The chosen topics deal mainly with the early stages of blood coagulation, Factor X, prothrombin, antithrombin and the assay of heparin. The book is really a series of essays on various aspects of blood coagulation and the coverage ranges from practical chapters such as standardisation of the prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time tests to reviews of recent research in methods of detection of the thrombin-antithrombin complex and immunological measurements of thrombin. Although the presentation is uneven, there is some interesting reading for those involved in laboratory diagnosis, e.g., detection of lupus inhibitors and assay methods for antithrombin 111. Coagulation has come a long way from the days of the stop-watch and observations of clots in test tubes (was it only 20 years ago?) and many published assay methods now involve immunological techniques or chromogenic substrates. This book reminds the not-so-recent graduate of the extent to which science has replaced art in the detection of disorders of hemostasis. Although a useful addition for the laboratory shelf, I hesitate to recommend the book for individual purchase. W . R . Pirney
Principles and Techniques of Surgical Pathology, 1st ed. WALDEMAR A. SCHMIDT. 1983 Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, California ISBN 0-201-1712. Order code 07139, pp. 746, illustrated. US$55.00 The literature of surgical pathology is essentially concerned with microscopic diagnosis. There are few books devoted to techniques for the pathologist, although there are many on techniques for the histotechnologist. Waldemar Schmidt’s book, therefore is an important one, dealing as it does with this greatly neglected subject. In fact, it attempts to go past description of technique to discuss the general principles of managing a surgical pathology laboratory. Chapters on quality control, construction of reports and data storage, organization of laboratory space, frozen sections and rapid cytological diagnosis and construction of macroscopic descriptions are the best in the book. Each of the chapters o n specific organs follows the same pattern. I t begins with a definition of anatomical regions and a list of the specimens and procedures which may be encountered, proceeds through the use of frozen section, discusses the macroscopic appearance of the different
BOOK REVIEWS
Clinical Neuropathology. R. 0 . WELLER, M . SWASH,D. L. MCLELLAN A N D C. L. SCHOLTZ Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York. 1983 ISBN 3-540-1 1685-0. US$40.00. 329 pp., 209 figures. This new book on clinical neuropathology is written by 13 authors. The subject matter is presented at the mid-level being planned for students of neurology and pathology and for the general physician. It would also serve as a concise reference for pathologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons and neuroradiologists. As explained by the 4 chief contributors the book was not intended to be a comprehensive fully documented review of neuropathology but an integrated practical text referring to clinical neurology, neurosurgery and to some extent neuroradiology. This approach is most apt because, by its nature, neuropathology is intimately linked with the clinical disciplines. Thus the work should aid the clinician in his approach to the bedside problem particularly in terms of diagnosis and management. As would be expected the larger sections of the book concern more the common disorders such as vascular disease, trauma and neoplasia. It is also quite reasonable that the book should begin with a section on the history of neurology and neuropathology. The reader is also prepared for the ensuing material by an introductory chapter on histology and neuroanatomy. The monograph is well produced, amply illustrated and key references are provided at the end of each chapter. The sections on metabolic diseases of the nervous system and muscle disease are particularly good. This new book on clinical neuropathology fills the gap between the traditional textbooks and the comprehensive handbooks. Although it will have appeal to all of the groups referred to by the authors it should be of special value to the neurologist both in training and practice.
Byron A . Kakulas
Hisioputhology of Skin Diseases (in German). Eds. T. NASEMANN, M. JANNER A N D B. SCHUTTE. 1982 Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York. 240 pp. DM 36;; approx. US$15.10. ISBN 3-540-10952-8 This small and well illustrated book is intended to be an introduction to dermatopathology written for undergraduates of medicine and for scientific laboratory assistants. Its illustrations, tables and schematic hi5topathological drawings are certainly a helpful aid for beginners. I t was written to be beside the microscope rather than to gather dust on the shelf and is certainly a very helpful innovation. It is an extension of the Textbook of Dermatology published by the same editors and written by Nasemann and Sauerbrey of the University of Hamburg. The clarity of this book matches the clarity of the Textbook of Dermatology, which rightly enjoys great popularity and went to several revisions since its original publication in 1974. This addition to the Textbook of Dermatology is in its first edition and the authors invite criticism in order to improve it for future editions. One can see the usefulness of the schematic drawings under the very good black and white illustrations which help the beginner to see what he is looking at under the microscope. The tables of the essentials of histopathology, of the illustrated dermatoses are also of high didactic value, giving the essentials of the histopathological changes in a nutshell. I f there is any possible criticism to be levelled it is the inclusion of some clinical tables, e.g. the essentials of the clinical diagnosis of lichen
planus (p. 113). or the essentials of the keratoses (pp. 96-97), the pathogenic factors of scleroderma (p. 85) etc. I think that these could be left out since the book is a companion volume of a very good schematic textbook of dermatology. Their space could be utilized to extend the number of illustrations of histopathology instead. I t would be worth while to have an English edition of this book.
Emery Kotsard
Disorders of Thrombin Formation, Ed. ROBERTW. COIM A N . 1983 Churchill Livingstone, Austr. Distr.: Longman Cheshire Group, Melbourne. 161 pp., illustrated. ISBN 0 443 08154 0. $64.00. This is Volume 7 in the series Methods in Hematology. One problem with the book is the title which would deter all but the dedicated coagulationist. Most coagulation defects result in disordered thrombin formation, but the editor has excluded consideration of Factors V l l l and IX (dealt with in a previous volume in the series) and fibrin formation and fibrinolysis (reserved for a further volume). The chosen topics deal mainly with the early stages of blood coagulation, Factor X, prothrombin, antithrombin and the assay of heparin. The book is really a series of essays on various aspects of blood coagulation and the coverage ranges from practical chapters such as standardisation of the prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time tests to reviews of recent research in methods of detection of the thrombin-antithrombin complex and immunological measurements of thrombin. Although the presentation is uneven, there is some interesting reading for those involved in laboratory diagnosis, e.g., detection of lupus inhibitors and assay methods for antithrombin 111. Coagulation has come a long way from the days of the stop-watch and observations of clots in test tubes (was it only 20 years ago?) and many published assay methods now involve immunological techniques or chromogenic substrates. This book reminds the not-so-recent graduate of the extent to which science has replaced art in the detection of disorders of hemostasis. Although a useful addition for the laboratory shelf, I hesitate to recommend the book for individual purchase. W . R . Pirney
Principles and Techniques of Surgical Pathology, 1st ed. WALDEMAR A. SCHMIDT. 1983 Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, California ISBN 0-201-1712. Order code 07139, pp. 746, illustrated. US$55.00 The literature of surgical pathology is essentially concerned with microscopic diagnosis. There are few books devoted to techniques for the pathologist, although there are many on techniques for the histotechnologist. Waldemar Schmidt’s book, therefore is an important one, dealing as it does with this greatly neglected subject. In fact, it attempts to go past description of technique to discuss the general principles of managing a surgical pathology laboratory. Chapters on quality control, construction of reports and data storage, organization of laboratory space, frozen sections and rapid cytological diagnosis and construction of macroscopic descriptions are the best in the book. Each of the chapters o n specific organs follows the same pattern. I t begins with a definition of anatomical regions and a list of the specimens and procedures which may be encountered, proceeds through the use of frozen section, discusses the macroscopic appearance of the different