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Management of Pituitary Disease
228
I / N ~ - Ala~ /92¢5
male-male competition and female choice in separate chapters. Recent theoretical and empirical progress in this area has been rapid It is a pity that the book could not include discussions of Lande and Kirkpatnck's formal treatments of the process of runaway sexual selection and Andersson's study of female choice in the African long-tailed widow-bird The latter is the first field mampulation of a natural population demonstrating that females choose among males on the basis of phenotypic characters A highlight of the book is the treatment of the adaptive slgnlftcance of species' differences in social organlzation and life history patterns. Daly and Wilson manage to convey the diversity in breeding systems and life history patterns with many well chosen examples, and discuss the ecological conditions that give rise to this diver-
slty Their clear and critical presentation of theory is a feature of the book This is particularly evident m their discussion of hfe history theory and in their chapter on sex allocation and sex ratio theory. Daly and Wilson devote the last three chapters of the book to h u m a n soooblology_ After a summary of the hormonal basis of sexual development and differentiation, they discuss the evidence for a biological basis to sex differences in h u m a n behavior Using a cross-cultural approach, as well as comparisons with n o n - h u m a n primates, a n u m b e r of h u m a n customs such as the incest taboo, marriage practices and sex differences in behavior, such as male sexual jealousy, are examined from an evolutionary functional perspectlve Attempts to explain h u m a n behavioral differences as adaptations for maximizing fitness have, of course,
provoked a great deal ol controvt.rsy Daly and Wilson are careful to concentrate on empirical evidence rather than speculation and argue that human behavior can be explained at multiple levels This new edition is ,~ubstantIally revised in line with rccent developments The broad coverage without over-simplification is a considerable achievement With over 700 key references, many new illustrations and a useful glossary, it is the best available coursebook for specialized undergraduate and Introductory graduate courses in SOclobiology It will also be useful in general courses in animal behavior, evolution and biological approaches to the social sciences
Management Disease
ease The next section summarizes the blochemmal assessment of the hormonal status, the ophthalmologlc evaluatlon and the results obtained by various imaging techniques One chapter is directed toward the diagnosis of pituitary mlcroadenoma by computed tomography The section on pathology, written by W. Saeger, one of the best pituitary morphologists, is an excellent authoratatwe review on a difficult subject which has changed considerably during the last decade The description of various pituitary a d e n o m a types is based on histologic, lmmunocytologlc and ultrastructural studies and several different tumors are illustrated on beautiful microphotographs The following section reports the pnnciples of radiotherapy The next sections revmw the treatment of patients with prolactln-produclng adenoma, acromegaly, Cushing's disease and massive pituitary tumors The last three sections deal with the diagnosis, the surgical and radiologacal treatment of parasellar lesions, with the clinical features, radiological and surgical therapy of pituitary diseases in children and the medical m a n a g e m e n t of patients with pituitary disease m the preoperahve and postoperative penods The last decade has witnessed the emergence of a new era m the study of pituitary morphology and endocrine activity U n p r e c e d e n t e d progress has been achieved m the better understanding of the structure and function of the pltmtary gland u n d e r normal c o n d m o n s and in v a n o u s diseases New light has been shed on the
hypothalarmc regulation of hypophysial h o r m o n e secretion, sensitive and reliable diagnostic tests and novel and effective treatment modalities including pituitary microsurgery and dopaminergic agomst therapy have been introduced and a deeper iastght into pituitary pathology has been obtained Due to growing interest and increasing popularity of morphology, endoc n n e activity and diseases of the pituitary gland, it is not surprising that a large n u m b e r of books have been published in the last few years dealing with various aspects of hypophysial abnormalities. This book is one of these recent contributions It does not deviate from the traditional path, it is not detailed enough to be used alone, and it does not substitute for a comprehensive textbook on general endocnnology, but the text is enjoyable, easy to read and gives a general overview of salient features of pltmtary diseases and their m a n a g e m e n t concisely, clearly and critically. As with other multiauthored books, the quality and style of the individual chapters are not the same and there are minor overlaps Although the bibliography is incomplete and not quite up to date, the book is a useful review and valuable contribution It can be r e c o m m e n d e d primarily to those chmcians who are interested in pituitary chseases and their treatment
of Pituitary
edited by P. E Belchetz, Chapman and Hall Medical, 1984_ £35.00 (xt + 537 pages) I S B N 0 412 23780 6 There are 27 contributors, the majority of them from the U n i t e d Kingdom, with a few from other countries, such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, J a p a n and the USA. Many authors are well known for the slgmficance of their previous works; they are recognized experts in their field. The book is divided into 12 major sections Ten sections are further subdivided into 2-7 individual chapters. In some sections, the last chapter is a concise overview written by the editor mrmng to summarize current knowledge and to provide guidance in controversial subjects More than half of the text is devoted to clinical aspects and m a n a g e m e n t of pltmtary diseases; problems related especially to therapy are chscussed in great detail The first section ts an introduction to chmcal endocnnology After a short historical resum6, the anatomy of the pitmtary and the hypophysial fossa is described. Further chapters review current knowledge on the physiology of anterior and posterior lobes, biochemistry and pharmacology of the pituitary gland The next two sections deal with clinical presentation and evaluation. The chapter on h y p o p i t w t a n s m lists all the possible causes of this disease in a comprehenswe table Separate chapters focus on problems related to hyperprolactmemla, acromegaly and Cushing's dis-
PPTEN M B E N N E T [
Department of Biology, Prlmeion University, Prmceton, NJ 08544, USA
K KOVACS
Department of Pathology, St Michael's ttospltal, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontarw, MSB IWS, Canada
Trends in NeuroSciences June 1985
I / N ~ - Ala~ /92¢5
male-male competition and female choice in separate chapters. Recent theoretical and empirical progress in this area has been rapid It is a pity that the book could not include discussions of Lande and Kirkpatnck's formal treatments of the process of runaway sexual selection and Andersson's study of female choice in the African long-tailed widow-bird The latter is the first field mampulation of a natural population demonstrating that females choose among males on the basis of phenotypic characters A highlight of the book is the treatment of the adaptive slgnlftcance of species' differences in social organlzation and life history patterns. Daly and Wilson manage to convey the diversity in breeding systems and life history patterns with many well chosen examples, and discuss the ecological conditions that give rise to this diver-
slty Their clear and critical presentation of theory is a feature of the book This is particularly evident m their discussion of hfe history theory and in their chapter on sex allocation and sex ratio theory. Daly and Wilson devote the last three chapters of the book to h u m a n soooblology_ After a summary of the hormonal basis of sexual development and differentiation, they discuss the evidence for a biological basis to sex differences in h u m a n behavior Using a cross-cultural approach, as well as comparisons with n o n - h u m a n primates, a n u m b e r of h u m a n customs such as the incest taboo, marriage practices and sex differences in behavior, such as male sexual jealousy, are examined from an evolutionary functional perspectlve Attempts to explain h u m a n behavioral differences as adaptations for maximizing fitness have, of course,
provoked a great deal ol controvt.rsy Daly and Wilson are careful to concentrate on empirical evidence rather than speculation and argue that human behavior can be explained at multiple levels This new edition is ,~ubstantIally revised in line with rccent developments The broad coverage without over-simplification is a considerable achievement With over 700 key references, many new illustrations and a useful glossary, it is the best available coursebook for specialized undergraduate and Introductory graduate courses in SOclobiology It will also be useful in general courses in animal behavior, evolution and biological approaches to the social sciences
Management Disease
ease The next section summarizes the blochemmal assessment of the hormonal status, the ophthalmologlc evaluatlon and the results obtained by various imaging techniques One chapter is directed toward the diagnosis of pituitary mlcroadenoma by computed tomography The section on pathology, written by W. Saeger, one of the best pituitary morphologists, is an excellent authoratatwe review on a difficult subject which has changed considerably during the last decade The description of various pituitary a d e n o m a types is based on histologic, lmmunocytologlc and ultrastructural studies and several different tumors are illustrated on beautiful microphotographs The following section reports the pnnciples of radiotherapy The next sections revmw the treatment of patients with prolactln-produclng adenoma, acromegaly, Cushing's disease and massive pituitary tumors The last three sections deal with the diagnosis, the surgical and radiologacal treatment of parasellar lesions, with the clinical features, radiological and surgical therapy of pituitary diseases in children and the medical m a n a g e m e n t of patients with pituitary disease m the preoperahve and postoperative penods The last decade has witnessed the emergence of a new era m the study of pituitary morphology and endocrine activity U n p r e c e d e n t e d progress has been achieved m the better understanding of the structure and function of the pltmtary gland u n d e r normal c o n d m o n s and in v a n o u s diseases New light has been shed on the
hypothalarmc regulation of hypophysial h o r m o n e secretion, sensitive and reliable diagnostic tests and novel and effective treatment modalities including pituitary microsurgery and dopaminergic agomst therapy have been introduced and a deeper iastght into pituitary pathology has been obtained Due to growing interest and increasing popularity of morphology, endoc n n e activity and diseases of the pituitary gland, it is not surprising that a large n u m b e r of books have been published in the last few years dealing with various aspects of hypophysial abnormalities. This book is one of these recent contributions It does not deviate from the traditional path, it is not detailed enough to be used alone, and it does not substitute for a comprehensive textbook on general endocnnology, but the text is enjoyable, easy to read and gives a general overview of salient features of pltmtary diseases and their m a n a g e m e n t concisely, clearly and critically. As with other multiauthored books, the quality and style of the individual chapters are not the same and there are minor overlaps Although the bibliography is incomplete and not quite up to date, the book is a useful review and valuable contribution It can be r e c o m m e n d e d primarily to those chmcians who are interested in pituitary chseases and their treatment
of Pituitary
edited by P. E Belchetz, Chapman and Hall Medical, 1984_ £35.00 (xt + 537 pages) I S B N 0 412 23780 6 There are 27 contributors, the majority of them from the U n i t e d Kingdom, with a few from other countries, such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, J a p a n and the USA. Many authors are well known for the slgmficance of their previous works; they are recognized experts in their field. The book is divided into 12 major sections Ten sections are further subdivided into 2-7 individual chapters. In some sections, the last chapter is a concise overview written by the editor mrmng to summarize current knowledge and to provide guidance in controversial subjects More than half of the text is devoted to clinical aspects and m a n a g e m e n t of pltmtary diseases; problems related especially to therapy are chscussed in great detail The first section ts an introduction to chmcal endocnnology After a short historical resum6, the anatomy of the pitmtary and the hypophysial fossa is described. Further chapters review current knowledge on the physiology of anterior and posterior lobes, biochemistry and pharmacology of the pituitary gland The next two sections deal with clinical presentation and evaluation. The chapter on h y p o p i t w t a n s m lists all the possible causes of this disease in a comprehenswe table Separate chapters focus on problems related to hyperprolactmemla, acromegaly and Cushing's dis-
PPTEN M B E N N E T [
Department of Biology, Prlmeion University, Prmceton, NJ 08544, USA
K KOVACS
Department of Pathology, St Michael's ttospltal, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontarw, MSB IWS, Canada
Trends in NeuroSciences June 1985