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Biliary atresia and its related disorders
lune
1985
BOOK
dynamic computed tomography, CT) introductory chapter, the authors present 37 cases of different hepatic lesions that they have encountered in clinical practice. For each case, a short introductory paragraph describing the patient’s history is followed by pertinent CT scans, angiograms, and gross and microscopic pathology. The illustrations are generally good but the book would have been strengthened by using color reproductions of the pathologic material. The additional cost of color could have been more than recovered by reducing the incredible waste of space in this volume. Indeed 34 of the 187 pages are blank or introduce a topic (e.g., hepatoma, focal npdular hyperplasia) in which one to three words are included per page. Also the clinical history and illustrations only occupy between one fourth to two thirds of a page. Finally, although this is an atlas, no serious attempt was made to relate the radiographic appearance of these lesions to their pathology. RICHARD M. GORE, M.D
Chicago,
Illinois
Biliary Atresia and its Related Disorders. By M. Kasai. 303 pp., $63.50. Excerpta Medica. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. (Distributed in U.S. by Elsevier Science Publishing Company, Inc., New York, New York, 1983.)
PETER F. WHITINGTON,
Chicago,
Illinois
M.D.
2015
Color Atlas of Seromyotomy for Chronic Duodenal Ulcer [Single Surgical Procedures Series, Volume 10). By T. Vincent Taylor. 64 pp., $25.95. Medical Economics Books, Oradell, New Jersey, 1984. The author presents an alternative operation to parietal cell vagotomy (PCV) for duodenal ulcer. This consists of right truncal vagotomy and seromyotomy of the anterior gastric wall near the lesser curvature from cardia to antrum. As PCV by the customary method is neither difficult nor tedious, it is not clear why this procedure would be superior. It is stated tq cause an equally marked depression in basal gastric secretQry rate and is less time consuming to perform. The illustrations are excellent and demonstrate the surgical anatomy exceedingly well. However, the details of opening the abdomen are needlessly detailed. The accompanying text presents little data and much personal opinion, some of which appears questionable; for example, truncal vagotomy is said to be complicated by distention, in 50%, dumping in 25%, and diarrhea in 30%. Gastric emptying appears to be adequate without pyloroplasty, but the right truncal vagotomy does sacrifice the celiac branch. This brief atlas is of interest only to general surgeogs with significant involvement in peptic ulcer surgery. As parietal cell vagotomy is not in general use in the United States, very few American surgebns will be interested. E. R. WOODWARD,
Gainesville,
The proceedings of an international symposium in Sendai, Japan in May, 1983 are presented in this volume. The book is oriented toward the surgical aspects of biliary atresia. Most of the papers are by Japanese authors, many of whom are leaders in pediatric surgery, and are compilations of these authors’ experiences with this disorder. The experience is rich but the presentation is poor; anecdotal reflection without critical analysis is the norm. Also, there was a distinct lack of editorial input in production. Innumerable misspellings and misreferencings and the tendency of the Japanese writing in English to drop prepositions were not corrected. The text has a conversational tone that suggests it was derived from a recording of the proceedings rather than from prepared manuscripts. The discussions that punctuate the text are not edited and thus are long, diffuse, and valueless. I found it very hard to extract useful information from this book. The cost is too high. Some positive aspects are as follows: A strong discussion of data regarding bone disease in neonatal cholestatic hepatopathies by Kobayashi et al. is a pleasure to read, and the chapters by Alagille et al. that discuss the ductular hypoplasia syndromes and the long-term follow-up of children after corrective surgery for biliary atresia are excellent. I also found interesting the chapters by Howard et al. that discuss survival after operation for biliary atresia and by Tsuchida et al. that take an insightful look at afetoprotein in the diagnosis of biliary atresia. Pediatric surgeons will find much practical information in the extensive discussion of the Kasai procedure and its various modifications, if they can endure the presentation.
REVIEWS
M.D
Florida
Mucosal Biopsy of the Gastrointestinal Tract (Major Problems in Pathology, Volume 3). By R. Whitehead. 320 pp., $39.95. W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1984. This monograph on gastrointestinal mucosa biopsy is the most complete one available. The author takes us through the gut with gun and camera starting in the esophagus and ending in the colon. The illustrations of biopsy specimens are generally well oriented and clear. The presentation could have been improved by the inclusion of some color illustrations. The bibliography is extensive and includes references as recent as 1983. Although there is also an exhaustive bibliography, the author has had extensive personal experience in the interpretation of mucosal biopsy specimens. Much of the material presented represents his personal opinion. Examples are found in his classifications of chronic gastritis; his opinion that collagenous sprue is merely celiac sprue unresponsive to a gluten-free diet and because he never observed mucosal invasion by Giardia lamblia that it does not occur. This work is useful for all students of gastroenterology, including pathologists unfamiliar with mucosal biopsies, residents and fellows in gastroenterology, and gastroenterologists. Although it is worth the price, readers who own the second edition may not feel that buying this one just for the new section on the esophagus is worthwhile. LLOYD L. BRANDBORG,
San
Francisco,
California
M.D.
1985
BOOK
dynamic computed tomography, CT) introductory chapter, the authors present 37 cases of different hepatic lesions that they have encountered in clinical practice. For each case, a short introductory paragraph describing the patient’s history is followed by pertinent CT scans, angiograms, and gross and microscopic pathology. The illustrations are generally good but the book would have been strengthened by using color reproductions of the pathologic material. The additional cost of color could have been more than recovered by reducing the incredible waste of space in this volume. Indeed 34 of the 187 pages are blank or introduce a topic (e.g., hepatoma, focal npdular hyperplasia) in which one to three words are included per page. Also the clinical history and illustrations only occupy between one fourth to two thirds of a page. Finally, although this is an atlas, no serious attempt was made to relate the radiographic appearance of these lesions to their pathology. RICHARD M. GORE, M.D
Chicago,
Illinois
Biliary Atresia and its Related Disorders. By M. Kasai. 303 pp., $63.50. Excerpta Medica. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. (Distributed in U.S. by Elsevier Science Publishing Company, Inc., New York, New York, 1983.)
PETER F. WHITINGTON,
Chicago,
Illinois
M.D.
2015
Color Atlas of Seromyotomy for Chronic Duodenal Ulcer [Single Surgical Procedures Series, Volume 10). By T. Vincent Taylor. 64 pp., $25.95. Medical Economics Books, Oradell, New Jersey, 1984. The author presents an alternative operation to parietal cell vagotomy (PCV) for duodenal ulcer. This consists of right truncal vagotomy and seromyotomy of the anterior gastric wall near the lesser curvature from cardia to antrum. As PCV by the customary method is neither difficult nor tedious, it is not clear why this procedure would be superior. It is stated tq cause an equally marked depression in basal gastric secretQry rate and is less time consuming to perform. The illustrations are excellent and demonstrate the surgical anatomy exceedingly well. However, the details of opening the abdomen are needlessly detailed. The accompanying text presents little data and much personal opinion, some of which appears questionable; for example, truncal vagotomy is said to be complicated by distention, in 50%, dumping in 25%, and diarrhea in 30%. Gastric emptying appears to be adequate without pyloroplasty, but the right truncal vagotomy does sacrifice the celiac branch. This brief atlas is of interest only to general surgeogs with significant involvement in peptic ulcer surgery. As parietal cell vagotomy is not in general use in the United States, very few American surgebns will be interested. E. R. WOODWARD,
Gainesville,
The proceedings of an international symposium in Sendai, Japan in May, 1983 are presented in this volume. The book is oriented toward the surgical aspects of biliary atresia. Most of the papers are by Japanese authors, many of whom are leaders in pediatric surgery, and are compilations of these authors’ experiences with this disorder. The experience is rich but the presentation is poor; anecdotal reflection without critical analysis is the norm. Also, there was a distinct lack of editorial input in production. Innumerable misspellings and misreferencings and the tendency of the Japanese writing in English to drop prepositions were not corrected. The text has a conversational tone that suggests it was derived from a recording of the proceedings rather than from prepared manuscripts. The discussions that punctuate the text are not edited and thus are long, diffuse, and valueless. I found it very hard to extract useful information from this book. The cost is too high. Some positive aspects are as follows: A strong discussion of data regarding bone disease in neonatal cholestatic hepatopathies by Kobayashi et al. is a pleasure to read, and the chapters by Alagille et al. that discuss the ductular hypoplasia syndromes and the long-term follow-up of children after corrective surgery for biliary atresia are excellent. I also found interesting the chapters by Howard et al. that discuss survival after operation for biliary atresia and by Tsuchida et al. that take an insightful look at afetoprotein in the diagnosis of biliary atresia. Pediatric surgeons will find much practical information in the extensive discussion of the Kasai procedure and its various modifications, if they can endure the presentation.
REVIEWS
M.D
Florida
Mucosal Biopsy of the Gastrointestinal Tract (Major Problems in Pathology, Volume 3). By R. Whitehead. 320 pp., $39.95. W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1984. This monograph on gastrointestinal mucosa biopsy is the most complete one available. The author takes us through the gut with gun and camera starting in the esophagus and ending in the colon. The illustrations of biopsy specimens are generally well oriented and clear. The presentation could have been improved by the inclusion of some color illustrations. The bibliography is extensive and includes references as recent as 1983. Although there is also an exhaustive bibliography, the author has had extensive personal experience in the interpretation of mucosal biopsy specimens. Much of the material presented represents his personal opinion. Examples are found in his classifications of chronic gastritis; his opinion that collagenous sprue is merely celiac sprue unresponsive to a gluten-free diet and because he never observed mucosal invasion by Giardia lamblia that it does not occur. This work is useful for all students of gastroenterology, including pathologists unfamiliar with mucosal biopsies, residents and fellows in gastroenterology, and gastroenterologists. Although it is worth the price, readers who own the second edition may not feel that buying this one just for the new section on the esophagus is worthwhile. LLOYD L. BRANDBORG,
San
Francisco,
California
M.D.