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Heritable Disorders of Connective Tissue
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
592
riphery and the equatorial retina receive at tention and the papers are not by any means limited to diseases usually confused with uveitis. Lattice degeneration, retinoschisis, cobblestone degeneration, peripheral detach ment and uveal effusion are some examples of interesting subjects which stray slightly from the theme of this symposium. Some of the material in this book can be found elsewhere and usually in more com plete form; in fact, some sections are so simplified and brief as to be of limited value. This is particularly true of the sec tions on histoanatomy and examination of the fundus. On the other hand, the material in the chapters on retinal disease, inflammatory dis eases and tumors is organized in a most in formative manner. Each of the entities con sidered in these chapters is divided so as to cover clinical features, pathology and mangement independently and then is re viewed in concluding summary and discus sion sections. I found these latter sections to be of considerable value. Points of agree ment are emphasized and no punches are spared in discussing points of disagreement. Sometimes important original information not mentioned in the formal presentations is found in these "off the cuff" discussions. This book is highly recommended for ophthalmologists interested in recent infor mation on a number of difficult retinal prob lems. In general, the material is presented in a simplified, concise and well-organized manner. Alex E. Krill
DIE
CATARACTOPERATION U N D I H R E K O M -
PLIKATIONEN
IN
PATHOLOGISCH-ANA-
By Ernst Landolt. Basel, Switzerland, S. Karger AG, 1966. Paperbound, 94 pages, 121 figures in black and white, bibliography, index. Price: sFr/DM 25.—. This is a most interesting and stimulating monograph. The author discusses the var TOMISCHEN
SICHT.
SEPTEMBER, 1966
ious complications after cataract operations and illustrates their pathologic substrates with numerous photomicrographs. The author first discusses the normal wound healing of the cornea and then the normal and pathologic aspects of the inci sion. He has the impression that epithelial downgrowth is now more frequent than it used to be. Most informative is the chapter on sutures and their influence on the wound. He, correctly, cautions against too many su tures, which may do more harm than good. Original were his first observations on the influence of alpha chymotrypsin on the early stages of wound healing. He could in the meantime examine seven more such globes. He gives good evidence that this enzyme re tards the wound healing for the first few weeks. This study, based on the examination of 70 globes, is an excellent example of clinical and pathologic correlation. It should be of great benefit for every ophthalmic surgeon. Frederick C. Blodi HERITABLE
DISORDERS
OF
CONNECTIVE
By Victor A. McKusick, M.D. St. Louis, The C. V. Mosby Company 1966, edition 3. Clothbound, 499 pages, 190 figures in black and white, 2 figures in color, 12 tables, chapter references, index. Price: $18.50.
TISSUE.
Nature is nowhere accustomed more openly to display her secret mysteries than in cases where she shows traces of her workings apart from the beaten path; nor is there any better way to ad vance the proper practice of medicine than to give our minds to the discovery of the usual law of Nature by careful investigation of cases of rarer forms of disease. For it has been found, in almost all things, that what they contain of useful or applicable nature is hardly perceived unless we are deprived of them, or they become deranged in some way. William Harvey, 1657. A good deal of information about con nective tissue and heritable disorders has been added to our store since the first edi tion of McKusick's book appeared in 1955. I n this edition the author incorporates it into his original, brilliant, painstaking cover-
VOL. 62, NO. 3
BOOK REVIEWS
age of a diverse group of disorders involv ing the connective tissue. The first chapter, on the clinical behavior of hereditary syndromes, is an unusually well-done presentation of information con cerning the genetics of disease. The chapter on the biology of normal connective tissue, little changed from the earlier editions, re mains probably the best synopsis of this perplexing tissue available. Chapters on homocystinuria and on the mucopolysaccharidoses have been added. Chapters on the Mar fan syndrome, the Ehlers-Danlos syn drome, osteogenesis imperfecta and pseudoxanthoma elasticum have been markedly extended. This book is a joy to read, not only for its remarkable review of the literature, but for its penetrating analyses. Every ophthal mologist interested in the exceptional will wish to have a copy of this superb book. Frank W. Newell
ATLAS OF DISEASES OF THE ANTERIOR SEG
MENT OF THE EYE. By Wolfgang Straub and Hermann Rossmann. New York, The Blakiston Division, McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1966. Clothbound, 217 pages, 125 figures in black and white, 194 figures in color, appendix, index. Price: $21.00. This handsome volume prepared by the chief of the eye clinic and an assistant physi cian at the University of Hamburg, originally published in Germany in 1962, was translated
593
for publication in English by Dr. Helmut Dannheim and his two sons. It has many spectacular pictures of rare conditions, although diagnosis is not always crystal clear from the photographs. The gen eral quality of the pictures is good rather than outstanding. But we must remember that we have been conditioned by the widespread use of photography at an etxremely high techni cal and artistic level to expect nothing less than salon quality and are no doubt hyper critical. The material is divided into eight sections: orbit and motility, eyelids, lacrimal system, conjunctiva, cornea, sclera, iris and lens. Some of the orbital disease described is in adequately documented, and the cause of the proptosis is not described. In other places the English is not idiomatic or the meaning is not clear. Such defects are evident in discussion of "leukocytosis" (presumably leukemia), "myasthenia" (myasthenia gravis), hyperfunction of the right superior rectus and other conditions. Therapeutics do not correspond to Ameri can standards. For instance, 2% hydrochloric acid is recommended instead of EDTA for band keratopathy of the cornea; there is no mention of IDU in the treatment of herpes simplex infection of the cornea; and penicil lin is prescribed for conjunctival diphtheria without mention of the need for systemic an titoxin. Every atlas is helpful, however, and this one is no exception. The book contains a great deal to study and enjoy. Frank W. Newell
592
riphery and the equatorial retina receive at tention and the papers are not by any means limited to diseases usually confused with uveitis. Lattice degeneration, retinoschisis, cobblestone degeneration, peripheral detach ment and uveal effusion are some examples of interesting subjects which stray slightly from the theme of this symposium. Some of the material in this book can be found elsewhere and usually in more com plete form; in fact, some sections are so simplified and brief as to be of limited value. This is particularly true of the sec tions on histoanatomy and examination of the fundus. On the other hand, the material in the chapters on retinal disease, inflammatory dis eases and tumors is organized in a most in formative manner. Each of the entities con sidered in these chapters is divided so as to cover clinical features, pathology and mangement independently and then is re viewed in concluding summary and discus sion sections. I found these latter sections to be of considerable value. Points of agree ment are emphasized and no punches are spared in discussing points of disagreement. Sometimes important original information not mentioned in the formal presentations is found in these "off the cuff" discussions. This book is highly recommended for ophthalmologists interested in recent infor mation on a number of difficult retinal prob lems. In general, the material is presented in a simplified, concise and well-organized manner. Alex E. Krill
DIE
CATARACTOPERATION U N D I H R E K O M -
PLIKATIONEN
IN
PATHOLOGISCH-ANA-
By Ernst Landolt. Basel, Switzerland, S. Karger AG, 1966. Paperbound, 94 pages, 121 figures in black and white, bibliography, index. Price: sFr/DM 25.—. This is a most interesting and stimulating monograph. The author discusses the var TOMISCHEN
SICHT.
SEPTEMBER, 1966
ious complications after cataract operations and illustrates their pathologic substrates with numerous photomicrographs. The author first discusses the normal wound healing of the cornea and then the normal and pathologic aspects of the inci sion. He has the impression that epithelial downgrowth is now more frequent than it used to be. Most informative is the chapter on sutures and their influence on the wound. He, correctly, cautions against too many su tures, which may do more harm than good. Original were his first observations on the influence of alpha chymotrypsin on the early stages of wound healing. He could in the meantime examine seven more such globes. He gives good evidence that this enzyme re tards the wound healing for the first few weeks. This study, based on the examination of 70 globes, is an excellent example of clinical and pathologic correlation. It should be of great benefit for every ophthalmic surgeon. Frederick C. Blodi HERITABLE
DISORDERS
OF
CONNECTIVE
By Victor A. McKusick, M.D. St. Louis, The C. V. Mosby Company 1966, edition 3. Clothbound, 499 pages, 190 figures in black and white, 2 figures in color, 12 tables, chapter references, index. Price: $18.50.
TISSUE.
Nature is nowhere accustomed more openly to display her secret mysteries than in cases where she shows traces of her workings apart from the beaten path; nor is there any better way to ad vance the proper practice of medicine than to give our minds to the discovery of the usual law of Nature by careful investigation of cases of rarer forms of disease. For it has been found, in almost all things, that what they contain of useful or applicable nature is hardly perceived unless we are deprived of them, or they become deranged in some way. William Harvey, 1657. A good deal of information about con nective tissue and heritable disorders has been added to our store since the first edi tion of McKusick's book appeared in 1955. I n this edition the author incorporates it into his original, brilliant, painstaking cover-
VOL. 62, NO. 3
BOOK REVIEWS
age of a diverse group of disorders involv ing the connective tissue. The first chapter, on the clinical behavior of hereditary syndromes, is an unusually well-done presentation of information con cerning the genetics of disease. The chapter on the biology of normal connective tissue, little changed from the earlier editions, re mains probably the best synopsis of this perplexing tissue available. Chapters on homocystinuria and on the mucopolysaccharidoses have been added. Chapters on the Mar fan syndrome, the Ehlers-Danlos syn drome, osteogenesis imperfecta and pseudoxanthoma elasticum have been markedly extended. This book is a joy to read, not only for its remarkable review of the literature, but for its penetrating analyses. Every ophthal mologist interested in the exceptional will wish to have a copy of this superb book. Frank W. Newell
ATLAS OF DISEASES OF THE ANTERIOR SEG
MENT OF THE EYE. By Wolfgang Straub and Hermann Rossmann. New York, The Blakiston Division, McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1966. Clothbound, 217 pages, 125 figures in black and white, 194 figures in color, appendix, index. Price: $21.00. This handsome volume prepared by the chief of the eye clinic and an assistant physi cian at the University of Hamburg, originally published in Germany in 1962, was translated
593
for publication in English by Dr. Helmut Dannheim and his two sons. It has many spectacular pictures of rare conditions, although diagnosis is not always crystal clear from the photographs. The gen eral quality of the pictures is good rather than outstanding. But we must remember that we have been conditioned by the widespread use of photography at an etxremely high techni cal and artistic level to expect nothing less than salon quality and are no doubt hyper critical. The material is divided into eight sections: orbit and motility, eyelids, lacrimal system, conjunctiva, cornea, sclera, iris and lens. Some of the orbital disease described is in adequately documented, and the cause of the proptosis is not described. In other places the English is not idiomatic or the meaning is not clear. Such defects are evident in discussion of "leukocytosis" (presumably leukemia), "myasthenia" (myasthenia gravis), hyperfunction of the right superior rectus and other conditions. Therapeutics do not correspond to Ameri can standards. For instance, 2% hydrochloric acid is recommended instead of EDTA for band keratopathy of the cornea; there is no mention of IDU in the treatment of herpes simplex infection of the cornea; and penicil lin is prescribed for conjunctival diphtheria without mention of the need for systemic an titoxin. Every atlas is helpful, however, and this one is no exception. The book contains a great deal to study and enjoy. Frank W. Newell