- Email: [email protected]
Myasthenia gravis
Book Review
Myasthenia G r a ~ (Major Pr~lems in N e u ~ o ~ ~,Vol. ~l~,by R,P. l,i~ ~ Barchi (Ed.~),244 pnge~ W,B, S~un~rs Comp., l ~ i ~ d ~ PA, L o q ~ US$ ~,00.
R,L ~L
O~-.rman's classicbook "Myasthenia C-ravis' w~s a mo~t up-to-date m ~ covering all at that time relevant asi~ts of the disease. His bot~ w~; p~bttsh~ 1958. The rapid development ;n our t~,~erstandin~4 of the p a t h t ~ ) , ~ t~ t ~ disease within the last 20 years is reflected in numewus valuable ~ , d l ~ s t~ symposia and workshops and well-writter~ chapters in several handhx~ks~ I~! scientific progress in so many fields reh~te,t to myasthenia gravis has u~v,~4i~ ~ need for a new comprehensive monograph The pre~nt book fills this :~p. The incidence and clinical features of the disease are first briefly r e ~ . ~ follows a valuable chapter on the genetics of myasthenia ~ravis, w t ~ t ~ b~ Behan and John Shields. They present a well-writ,~en survey of ¢ 1 ~ c ~nd ~ t genetic studies on myasthenia 8ravis assessed in the light of modern k n o w ~ t~ the HLA system. A lucid de,q:ription of the anatomy of the neuromu~cel~ ~ t t a ~ and the physiology of synaptic transntission ;n,:ludinlt recent d e v e ~ m t in m ~ ular biology, provides the background ~t~formation which is impe~tive h~ t~, understanding and management of clinical problems in mya~thenia ~avi~. An especially useful section of the book considers the i m m u n o l o l ~ abn~mu~. ties recorded in myasthenia iffavis. This chapter is intimately c~mnected with tt~ preceding one, which 8iv~ a brief description of the pathololD' of mmde~ t h . ~ and the thyroid gland in this disease. T ~ t h e ~ , the two c h a p t ~ give t~e b ~ ~ most balanced presentation of the immunopa~holog,~ of mya~thenia ~av~ I ~tve read. The book also succeeds in giving a balan~d view of the ~ t r ~ ~ different aspects of the treatment of myast~heniagravis. This is a most timely book that is thoroughly recommended. It is a w~thy successor to Oss,mtmn's classic numosraph. No doubt it will receive_-a ~ s~ in the literature of neuromusct lar disease. /A. A,~i
Myasthenia G r a ~ (Major Pr~lems in N e u ~ o ~ ~,Vol. ~l~,by R,P. l,i~ ~ Barchi (Ed.~),244 pnge~ W,B, S~un~rs Comp., l ~ i ~ d ~ PA, L o q ~ US$ ~,00.
R,L ~L
O~-.rman's classicbook "Myasthenia C-ravis' w~s a mo~t up-to-date m ~ covering all at that time relevant asi~ts of the disease. His bot~ w~; p~bttsh~ 1958. The rapid development ;n our t~,~erstandin~4 of the p a t h t ~ ) , ~ t~ t ~ disease within the last 20 years is reflected in numewus valuable ~ , d l ~ s t~ symposia and workshops and well-writter~ chapters in several handhx~ks~ I~! scientific progress in so many fields reh~te,t to myasthenia gravis has u~v,~4i~ ~ need for a new comprehensive monograph The pre~nt book fills this :~p. The incidence and clinical features of the disease are first briefly r e ~ . ~ follows a valuable chapter on the genetics of myasthenia ~ravis, w t ~ t ~ b~ Behan and John Shields. They present a well-writ,~en survey of ¢ 1 ~ c ~nd ~ t genetic studies on myasthenia 8ravis assessed in the light of modern k n o w ~ t~ the HLA system. A lucid de,q:ription of the anatomy of the neuromu~cel~ ~ t t a ~ and the physiology of synaptic transntission ;n,:ludinlt recent d e v e ~ m t in m ~ ular biology, provides the background ~t~formation which is impe~tive h~ t~, understanding and management of clinical problems in mya~thenia ~avi~. An especially useful section of the book considers the i m m u n o l o l ~ abn~mu~. ties recorded in myasthenia iffavis. This chapter is intimately c~mnected with tt~ preceding one, which 8iv~ a brief description of the pathololD' of mmde~ t h . ~ and the thyroid gland in this disease. T ~ t h e ~ , the two c h a p t ~ give t~e b ~ ~ most balanced presentation of the immunopa~holog,~ of mya~thenia ~av~ I ~tve read. The book also succeeds in giving a balan~d view of the ~ t r ~ ~ different aspects of the treatment of myast~heniagravis. This is a most timely book that is thoroughly recommended. It is a w~thy successor to Oss,mtmn's classic numosraph. No doubt it will receive_-a ~ s~ in the literature of neuromusct lar disease. /A. A,~i