- Email: [email protected]
Clinical Guide to Comprehensive Ophthalmology
Grading Key outstanding ; =good; =fair;
.***** = *** **
Book Reviews
* =poor.
A comprehensive section focuses on extracranial vascular approaches, and another describe s cerebrospinal fluid shunting procedures. Strengths: This beautiful volume accurately captures the Mayo Clinic "school" of neurosurgical operations for the brain and its blood supply. The descriptions of the operations contain words of wisdom from neurosurgical "giants" from Mayo, such as Drs Alfred W. Adson, Winchell M. Craig, J. Grafton Love, Collin S. MacCarty, Ross H. Miller, and (perhaps most of all) Thoralf M. Sundt, Jr. The subsequent contributions by Meyer and his neurosurgical colleagues at the Mayo Clinic make this atlas almost perfectly up-to-date. The beautiful drawings produced by Gillian Duncan help make this volume a neurosurgical masterpiece. Deficiencies: It is difficult to be critical of this atlas because it has so many superb positive qualities. The illustrations are excellent examples of teaching through medical illustration, long a characteristic of the Mayo "school" of medical illustration. Unfortunately, in some of the illustrations, the tumors do not really look the way they do in real life , especially the meningiomas, hemangioblastomas, and medulloblastomas. Although surgical atlases customarily do not have exhaustive reference sections, it would have been helpful to at least include references to the contributions of Mayo neurosurgeons over the years. Recommended Readership: This atlas will be indispensable to neurosurgical trainees and practitioners. It is the sort of volume that many will consult the evening before surgery; within it, they will find important conceptual and technical "pearls." Overall Grading:
Clinical Guide to Comprehensive Ophthalmology, edited by David A. Lee and Eve J. Higginbotham , 727 pp, with illus, $159, New York, NY, Thieme Medical Publishers (telephone: 800-7823488),1999, ISBN 0-86577-766-7 Type ofBook: A comprehensive multiauthored review of clinical ophthalmology. Scope of Book: A wide range of topics, from history taking to managed care contracting, are covered in this text. Contents: The book reviews numerous issues, including history taking, examination, ophthalmologic subspecialty care, common conditions, practice management, risk management, managed care contracting, and total quality management. The chapter on refractive errors covers refraction, glasses, contact lenses, and low-vision aids. Wisely, the text does not address the surgical management of refractive errors, a rapidly changing field. Decision-making trees provide critical pathways throughout the book. Each subspecialty chapter ends with "Indications for Referral." "Pearls,' special considerations, controversial points, and rare pitfalls are highlighted throughout the book. High-quality illustrations and photographs appropriately enhance the presentation, and a comprehensive index is included. Strengths: The highlighting of important information within the chapters, the high-quality illustrations, and the broad range of topics discussed make this text a valuable resource. Deficiencies: None noted. Recommended Readership: Residents, comprehensive ophthalmologists, and general practitioners with an interest in ophthalmology. Overall Grading:
*****
*****
Edward R. Laws, Jr., MD, Department ofNeurosurgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Jacqueline A. Leavitt, MD, Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, Minn
Breast Cancer, edited by S. Eva Singletary, 365 pp, with illus, $89.95, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag (telephone: 800-7774643), 1999, ISBN 0-387-98369-4
Atlas of Neurosurgery: Basic Approaches to Cranial and Vascular Procedures, by Fredric B. Meyer, 388 pp, with illus, $295, New York, NY, Churchill Livingstone (telephone : 800-5452522), 1999, ISBN 0-443-08951-5
Type ofBook: This multiauthored text on breast cancer, written primarily by members of the faculty of the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, is meant to be a succinct overview of breast cancer therapy. Scope of Book: The book covers breast cancer-related topics with a strong emphasis on surgical and pathological aspects. Contents: As stated in the preface, the M. D. Anderson Solid Tumor Oncology Series is intended to fill a gap between peerreviewed research articles and large textbooks devoted to a single type of malignancy. Several other volumes in the series are scheduled for publication. This text, the second volume in the series, consists of 27 chapters: 5 devoted to diagnosis, 7 to surgical indications and techniques, 6 to special pathologic conditions, 4 to ongoing clinical and basic science research, and 5 to miscellaneous topics. The work is written in a terse, economic style. Ample references are included, but none of the citations are more
Type of Book: A single-authored surgical atlas devoted to common and uncommon operations for disorders of the brain and its vascular supply. Scope of Book: This atlas covers virtually all neurosurgical procedures of the head, with particular focus on cerebrovascular disorders, including surgical problems involving the carotid and vertebral supply to the intracranial circulation. Contents: In a comprehensive, step-by-step fashion, the author describes both basic and advanced techniques of microneurosurgery. Each disorder and operation is carefully and beautifully illustrated. The introductory chapters describe basic approaches, and subsequent chapters cover specific problems such as brain tumors, vascular lesions, and disorders of brain function. Mayo Clin Proc 1999;74:746-748
**** =excellent;
746
© 1999 Mayo Foundationfor Medical Education and Research
For personal use. Mass reproduce only with permission from Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
.***** = *** **
Book Reviews
* =poor.
A comprehensive section focuses on extracranial vascular approaches, and another describe s cerebrospinal fluid shunting procedures. Strengths: This beautiful volume accurately captures the Mayo Clinic "school" of neurosurgical operations for the brain and its blood supply. The descriptions of the operations contain words of wisdom from neurosurgical "giants" from Mayo, such as Drs Alfred W. Adson, Winchell M. Craig, J. Grafton Love, Collin S. MacCarty, Ross H. Miller, and (perhaps most of all) Thoralf M. Sundt, Jr. The subsequent contributions by Meyer and his neurosurgical colleagues at the Mayo Clinic make this atlas almost perfectly up-to-date. The beautiful drawings produced by Gillian Duncan help make this volume a neurosurgical masterpiece. Deficiencies: It is difficult to be critical of this atlas because it has so many superb positive qualities. The illustrations are excellent examples of teaching through medical illustration, long a characteristic of the Mayo "school" of medical illustration. Unfortunately, in some of the illustrations, the tumors do not really look the way they do in real life , especially the meningiomas, hemangioblastomas, and medulloblastomas. Although surgical atlases customarily do not have exhaustive reference sections, it would have been helpful to at least include references to the contributions of Mayo neurosurgeons over the years. Recommended Readership: This atlas will be indispensable to neurosurgical trainees and practitioners. It is the sort of volume that many will consult the evening before surgery; within it, they will find important conceptual and technical "pearls." Overall Grading:
Clinical Guide to Comprehensive Ophthalmology, edited by David A. Lee and Eve J. Higginbotham , 727 pp, with illus, $159, New York, NY, Thieme Medical Publishers (telephone: 800-7823488),1999, ISBN 0-86577-766-7 Type ofBook: A comprehensive multiauthored review of clinical ophthalmology. Scope of Book: A wide range of topics, from history taking to managed care contracting, are covered in this text. Contents: The book reviews numerous issues, including history taking, examination, ophthalmologic subspecialty care, common conditions, practice management, risk management, managed care contracting, and total quality management. The chapter on refractive errors covers refraction, glasses, contact lenses, and low-vision aids. Wisely, the text does not address the surgical management of refractive errors, a rapidly changing field. Decision-making trees provide critical pathways throughout the book. Each subspecialty chapter ends with "Indications for Referral." "Pearls,' special considerations, controversial points, and rare pitfalls are highlighted throughout the book. High-quality illustrations and photographs appropriately enhance the presentation, and a comprehensive index is included. Strengths: The highlighting of important information within the chapters, the high-quality illustrations, and the broad range of topics discussed make this text a valuable resource. Deficiencies: None noted. Recommended Readership: Residents, comprehensive ophthalmologists, and general practitioners with an interest in ophthalmology. Overall Grading:
*****
*****
Edward R. Laws, Jr., MD, Department ofNeurosurgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Jacqueline A. Leavitt, MD, Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, Minn
Breast Cancer, edited by S. Eva Singletary, 365 pp, with illus, $89.95, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag (telephone: 800-7774643), 1999, ISBN 0-387-98369-4
Atlas of Neurosurgery: Basic Approaches to Cranial and Vascular Procedures, by Fredric B. Meyer, 388 pp, with illus, $295, New York, NY, Churchill Livingstone (telephone : 800-5452522), 1999, ISBN 0-443-08951-5
Type ofBook: This multiauthored text on breast cancer, written primarily by members of the faculty of the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, is meant to be a succinct overview of breast cancer therapy. Scope of Book: The book covers breast cancer-related topics with a strong emphasis on surgical and pathological aspects. Contents: As stated in the preface, the M. D. Anderson Solid Tumor Oncology Series is intended to fill a gap between peerreviewed research articles and large textbooks devoted to a single type of malignancy. Several other volumes in the series are scheduled for publication. This text, the second volume in the series, consists of 27 chapters: 5 devoted to diagnosis, 7 to surgical indications and techniques, 6 to special pathologic conditions, 4 to ongoing clinical and basic science research, and 5 to miscellaneous topics. The work is written in a terse, economic style. Ample references are included, but none of the citations are more
Type of Book: A single-authored surgical atlas devoted to common and uncommon operations for disorders of the brain and its vascular supply. Scope of Book: This atlas covers virtually all neurosurgical procedures of the head, with particular focus on cerebrovascular disorders, including surgical problems involving the carotid and vertebral supply to the intracranial circulation. Contents: In a comprehensive, step-by-step fashion, the author describes both basic and advanced techniques of microneurosurgery. Each disorder and operation is carefully and beautifully illustrated. The introductory chapters describe basic approaches, and subsequent chapters cover specific problems such as brain tumors, vascular lesions, and disorders of brain function. Mayo Clin Proc 1999;74:746-748
**** =excellent;
746
© 1999 Mayo Foundationfor Medical Education and Research
For personal use. Mass reproduce only with permission from Mayo Clinic Proceedings.