Gastrointestinal disease: Pathophysiology, diagnosis, management, 5th ed

GASTROENTEROLOGY

1994;106:818-819

BOOK REVIEWS Jonathan E. Clain, M.D. Book Review Editor Mayo Foundation 200 First Street S.W. Rochester, Minnesota 55905

Gastrointestinal

Disease: Pathopbysiology, Diagnosis, Management.

5th ed. Edited

by M. H. Sleisenger,

Scharschmidt, Saunders

and M. Feldman.

Company,

J. S. Fordtran,

B. F.

2136 pp. $185.00.

Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania,

W. B.

1993. ISBN

Several multi-authored

gastroenterology

able. Single volume presentations troenterology Shearman

Diseases of the Gastrointestinal

and Finlayson’s

basis for the practice

of medicine

an ever faster rate, editors of subspecialty texts strive to remain In this fifth edition, new associate editors maintain standard

current

the optimal

balance

that

along with

and Mark Feldman,

has made

their

text the

in three parts. Section I discusses

general aspects of the “Biology of the Gastrointestinal Section II covers “Topics Involving (Pain, Bleeding, VIII provide

Extraintestinal

ogy, pathophysiology,

Multiple

Diseases,

closely integrated

chapters

etc.). Sections

clinical syndromes,

III-

physiol-

and disease entities. authors

and changes from the last edition.

general cohesiveness

Tract.”

Organ Systems”

on regional

There are now more than 130 contributing additions

and many

Nevertheless,

the

and ease of reading the text remain intact.

Major changes from previous editions

include the incorporation

of chapters

on symptom

and syndromes

appropriate

organ sections,

lines, and expansion Chapters

complexes

the addition

of chapter

Dyspepsia,

Biliary Motility,

and reorganization

ulcer

and

arrangements

biliary

are a minor

for the specialist. referenced

Cholangitis, The

annoyance

Spiro and Davidson

edited

arrangement

ease entities.

by Yamada

in purpose

It is also thoroughly

and a more legible

or

Textbook? of

is very similar

to

It uses

of separate sections on normal physand organ-specific

referenced,

pedic, and similarly priced at $195.00. typeface.

dis-

equally encyclo-

Sleisenger

and Fordtran

and clarity of chapter subsections Unlike

text has an allied family

atlas, and self-assessment

Sleisenger

and Fordtran,

of books including

guide with references

ther would well serve the general in training

generalist

and presentation.

to clinical complaints,

provide greater organization Yamada’s

provides

are more ade-

trainee well. The two-volume

and Fordtran

iology, approach

Gitnick

the text seems inade-

and could serve the interested

Gastroenterology (1991)

an alternative

therefore,

library

text,

questions.

Ei-

or the subspecialist

or practice.

BRET

mini-out-

T. PETERSEN,

M.D.

Mayo Clinic

200 First Street Southwest

of

Rochester, Minnesota

Cancer Surveillance

is evident

disease.

references;

the gastroenterology

whereas new chap-

and Oncogenesis,

Consolidation disease

quately

The first two are authored

of a single institution.

into the

tract and evaluation

mass lesions of the liver have been deleted, Strategies,

only brief annotated

of both the index and color plate section.

on the aging gastrointestinal

ters deal with Neoplasia

by members

Sleisenger

reference.

remains

primarily quate

yet authoritative.

and Fordtran,

Bruce Scharschmidt

gastroenterology

The presentation

and general medical

and concise,

Drs. Sleisenger

grows at

Tract

Principles and Practice of Gastro-

enterology and Hepatology (1988).

As the scientific

and gas-

Spiro’s Clinical Gastroentwology (1993)

include

and Liver (1989), and Gitnick’s

o-7216-3470-2.

texts are now avail-

of both hepatology

and Fiber. on

Clinical

re-

pp. $135.00. McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-105434-O.

in the sections organizational

for those very familiar

Gastroenterology.

4th ed. By Howard

New York,

M. Spiro. New York,

1297 1993.

and facile with use of past volumes but should prove beneficial and logical generally the limited

for those

well balanced

new to the text. and thoroughly

acknowledgment

The presentation referenced,

of controversy

is

although

occasionally

does

disservice to an issue. Depending on one’s bias, examples might include the discussion of colorectal cancer screening, the relative de-emphasis on Helicobacterpylori therapy, and the comments on endoscopic therapy of nonbiliary pancreatic disease. Regrettably,

the expansion

by 100 pages

now mandates

publication in a two volume format with a somewhat cumbersome division in the midst of section V on the Small and Large Intestine. Like many color plate sections in nonatlas texts, the

It was a pleasure

to read and write

Spiro’s fourth edition

a review of Howard

of Clinical Gastroenterology. It contains

in

the preface, introduction, and many of the chapters the continued wise and sage advice about the practice, teaching, and ethics of medicine

in the wonderfully

personal

and powerful

writing style that we have come to know from this masterly author and educator. As opposed to the single-author style of the previous volume, Dr. Spiro has co-opted a small group of personal colleagues, mainly from the Yale campus, who contribute some 50% of the text in a consistent format. In

original examples provided are occasionally less than ideal for demonstration purposes. The excellent graphical presentation

this, Dr. Spiro acknowledges that the current physiological, investigative, and therapeutic innovations render it difficult for a single author to encompass all aspects of the rapidly

is equal to that of previous editions, with typographical errors in the first printing.

expanding field of gastroenterology. In books that are voluminous and comprehensive

only infrequent

in content,