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Malignant Lymphoma
206
BOOK REVIEWS
Malignant Lymphoma. Edited by COSTANW. BERARD.RONALD F. DORFMAN AND NATHAN KAUFMAN. Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, London, Los Angeles, Sydney, 1987. ISBN 0-683-00601-0, pp. xi + 300, illustrated. $183.00. This latest volume in the series of International Academy of Pathology Monographs provides an excellent selection of reviews of recent developments in the biology and laboratory diagnosis of the malignant lymphomas. The major chapters cover the advances over the past decade in histological classification, cytogenetics, immunophenotyping and molecular biology of lymphoid neoplasms. The highlight of the book is undoubtedly the formidable chapter by Nathwani on morphological classification of the non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. Nathwani presents a detailed and logical guide to the Working Formulation, which is now the most widely accepted system of classification. The chapter is well illustrated with black and white plates, and an effort has been made to integrate recent immunophenotyping and cytogenetic data into histological categories. Other excellent chapters on immunotyping in B cell lymphomas, cytogenetics, diagnostic molecular biology and oncogene activation in lymphoid neoplasia provide state of the art summaries which complement the section by Nathwani. In contrast to the plethora of new information on the non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas is the meagre section on the biology of Hodgkin’s disease. This is an accurate reflection of the present chaotic state of knowledge on this topic. A brave attempt to summarize the continuing controversy and confusion over the nature and origin of the Reed-Sternberg cell is included somewhat arbitrarily at the conclusion of a chapter on T cell neoplasia. A number of other chapters are more peripheral to the central theme of lymphoma. A brief chapter outlines the diagnostic features of the various forms of neoplasia which can arise within the thymus. There is a good review of the current classification of the acute leukemias, with an emphasis on immunotyping. Although obviously of more interest to the hematopathologist, it would provide a concise update for practitioners in other disciplines. It is probably an unavoidable consequence of the direction of research that there is a considerable emphasis on the leukemias throughout several key chapters. In addition, there is considerable overlap and repetition of material between related chapters. However, many readers may actually welcome reinforcement of some of the newer concepts. Finally, there is a concluding chapter by de Vita on therapeutic perspectives, written with an emphasis on experimental modalities such as monoclonal antibodies and lymphokines. Overall, 1 would recommend this book to the histopathologist wishing to keep abreast of the rapid pace of developments in cellular and molecular biology of leukemia and lymphoma, and to the enlightened clinical oncologist with the same aim. The major reservation is the price, which is formidable for such a slender volume. K . F. Bradstock F. G. *Pathologyand Clinical Pathology. Edited by K. M. BRINKHOUS, DALLDORF. J . W. GRISHAM, R. D. LANGDELLAND W. W. MCLENDON. Year Book Medical Publishers, Inc., Chicago, London, Boca Raton. ISBN 0-8151-1242-4, pp. vii+462, illustrated. $84.45. Another year brings, amongst other things, another year book - this one the 1987 Year Book of Pathology and Clinical Pathology. The Year Books have always had the advantage of having comments made by experts on the articles quoted. Some of these comments are potent distillates of much knowledge accompanied by citations of vintage articles not infrequently a decade or more old. The comments are, in my opinion, the major advantage of such compilations and far outweigh the easy availability of the abstracts. After all, if one is seriously interested in a particular area the original article must be read in full. This volume has the considerable additional advantage of having an index for the last five volumes in the series. Hence there is a very great deal of information in a small volume. A reviewer can only cite subjects which reflect his or her own interest. For me the comments on cytokines reviewed much work and it was
Pathology (1988), 20, April comforting to read of the redress of the previous imbalance about the relative importance of the myofibroblast and the macrophage in atheromatous plaque. It is comforting that simple accurate observation still can be of importance in increasingly complex medical research. AIDS and monoclonal antibodies are given emphasis but anyone working in these fields cannot afford to rely on a volume of this nature when so many articles are being spewed out in so many journals. From a very personal viewpoint 1 was particularly interested in the use of immunoperoxidase staining of the fetal isoantigen (A blood type) to delineate the fluid component of amniotic embolism in a fatal example. It has been known for several decades that in a heterospecific pregnancy if the fetus is a secretor then there is a rise in maternal isoagglutinin levels. Indeed there is a paper in press which proves that a sudden fall in such isoagglutinin levels substantiates a clinical diagnosis of nonfatal amniotic embolism. In a heterospecific pregnancy when the fetus is a secretor immunoperoxidase methods for the staining of fetal isoantigen would seem to be the most accurate method yet devised for the diagnosis of amniotic embolism. There is something of interest in all branches of pathology in this Year Book which should certainly be in departmental and central libraries although not necessarily in one’s personal collection. H . D. Attwood
Pathology of the Vulva and Vagina. Edited by EDWARD J . WILKINSON. Churchill Livingstone, New York, Edinburgh, London, Melbourne, 1987. ISBN 0-443-08514-5, pp. vii + 340, illustrated. $126.00. This is the ninth volume in the series Contemporary Issues in Surgical Pathology and is dedicated “to the women who have suffered with the tumours and diseases presented in this work” - an unusual but legitimate dedication, perhaps, and a sign of the times that an entire volume can be devoted to a subject which not many decades ago would have been truncated by cultural reticence. The relative lack of competition for this volume, however, has in no way persuaded the editor and authors to diminish the comprehensiveness with which they have addressed the topic at hand and, indeed, the usual refusal to acknowledge that congenital anomalies form an integral part of pathology is the only evident deficiency. Chapters on biopsy methods, examination of the surgical specimens and special histological techniques (immunoperoxidase, in-situ DNA hybridization) broaden the scope of the book and bridge the spheres of interest of pathologists and gynecologists. As expected from a book in this series, emphasis is placed on current topics in the medical literature - papillomavirus infection and its relation to lower genital tract cancer, carcinoma-in-situ and micro-invasive cancer of the vulva and vagina, verrucous carcinoma, melanoma, vaginal adenosis and its sequelae, soft tissue tumours and tumour-like conditions. The book is well illustrated (almost 200 figures) and the index is adequate, if not encyclopedic - internationally accepted synonyms and terminologies are largely ignored by the entirely American list of contributors. Nevertheless, this is a thoroughly recommendable addition to the working libraries of gynecologists and pathologists. Peter Russell
AND JOHNR. CRAIG. Liver Pathology. Edited by ROBERTL. PETERS Churchill Livingstone, New York, Edinburgh, London, Melbourne, 1986. ISBN 0-443-08402-5, pp i + 390, illustrated. $145.00. Robert L. Peters was working on this monograph, which is Volume 8 in the series Contemporary Issues in Surgical Pathology, at the time of his tragic and unexpected death. John R. Craig is to be commended for completing the work, but one wonders what the book would have been like had circumstances been different. Bob Peter’s wisdom and years of experience are readily perceived in his excellent introductory chapter and in his comprehensive chapter ‘Viral Inflammatory Diseases’.
BOOK REVIEWS
Malignant Lymphoma. Edited by COSTANW. BERARD.RONALD F. DORFMAN AND NATHAN KAUFMAN. Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, London, Los Angeles, Sydney, 1987. ISBN 0-683-00601-0, pp. xi + 300, illustrated. $183.00. This latest volume in the series of International Academy of Pathology Monographs provides an excellent selection of reviews of recent developments in the biology and laboratory diagnosis of the malignant lymphomas. The major chapters cover the advances over the past decade in histological classification, cytogenetics, immunophenotyping and molecular biology of lymphoid neoplasms. The highlight of the book is undoubtedly the formidable chapter by Nathwani on morphological classification of the non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. Nathwani presents a detailed and logical guide to the Working Formulation, which is now the most widely accepted system of classification. The chapter is well illustrated with black and white plates, and an effort has been made to integrate recent immunophenotyping and cytogenetic data into histological categories. Other excellent chapters on immunotyping in B cell lymphomas, cytogenetics, diagnostic molecular biology and oncogene activation in lymphoid neoplasia provide state of the art summaries which complement the section by Nathwani. In contrast to the plethora of new information on the non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas is the meagre section on the biology of Hodgkin’s disease. This is an accurate reflection of the present chaotic state of knowledge on this topic. A brave attempt to summarize the continuing controversy and confusion over the nature and origin of the Reed-Sternberg cell is included somewhat arbitrarily at the conclusion of a chapter on T cell neoplasia. A number of other chapters are more peripheral to the central theme of lymphoma. A brief chapter outlines the diagnostic features of the various forms of neoplasia which can arise within the thymus. There is a good review of the current classification of the acute leukemias, with an emphasis on immunotyping. Although obviously of more interest to the hematopathologist, it would provide a concise update for practitioners in other disciplines. It is probably an unavoidable consequence of the direction of research that there is a considerable emphasis on the leukemias throughout several key chapters. In addition, there is considerable overlap and repetition of material between related chapters. However, many readers may actually welcome reinforcement of some of the newer concepts. Finally, there is a concluding chapter by de Vita on therapeutic perspectives, written with an emphasis on experimental modalities such as monoclonal antibodies and lymphokines. Overall, 1 would recommend this book to the histopathologist wishing to keep abreast of the rapid pace of developments in cellular and molecular biology of leukemia and lymphoma, and to the enlightened clinical oncologist with the same aim. The major reservation is the price, which is formidable for such a slender volume. K . F. Bradstock F. G. *Pathologyand Clinical Pathology. Edited by K. M. BRINKHOUS, DALLDORF. J . W. GRISHAM, R. D. LANGDELLAND W. W. MCLENDON. Year Book Medical Publishers, Inc., Chicago, London, Boca Raton. ISBN 0-8151-1242-4, pp. vii+462, illustrated. $84.45. Another year brings, amongst other things, another year book - this one the 1987 Year Book of Pathology and Clinical Pathology. The Year Books have always had the advantage of having comments made by experts on the articles quoted. Some of these comments are potent distillates of much knowledge accompanied by citations of vintage articles not infrequently a decade or more old. The comments are, in my opinion, the major advantage of such compilations and far outweigh the easy availability of the abstracts. After all, if one is seriously interested in a particular area the original article must be read in full. This volume has the considerable additional advantage of having an index for the last five volumes in the series. Hence there is a very great deal of information in a small volume. A reviewer can only cite subjects which reflect his or her own interest. For me the comments on cytokines reviewed much work and it was
Pathology (1988), 20, April comforting to read of the redress of the previous imbalance about the relative importance of the myofibroblast and the macrophage in atheromatous plaque. It is comforting that simple accurate observation still can be of importance in increasingly complex medical research. AIDS and monoclonal antibodies are given emphasis but anyone working in these fields cannot afford to rely on a volume of this nature when so many articles are being spewed out in so many journals. From a very personal viewpoint 1 was particularly interested in the use of immunoperoxidase staining of the fetal isoantigen (A blood type) to delineate the fluid component of amniotic embolism in a fatal example. It has been known for several decades that in a heterospecific pregnancy if the fetus is a secretor then there is a rise in maternal isoagglutinin levels. Indeed there is a paper in press which proves that a sudden fall in such isoagglutinin levels substantiates a clinical diagnosis of nonfatal amniotic embolism. In a heterospecific pregnancy when the fetus is a secretor immunoperoxidase methods for the staining of fetal isoantigen would seem to be the most accurate method yet devised for the diagnosis of amniotic embolism. There is something of interest in all branches of pathology in this Year Book which should certainly be in departmental and central libraries although not necessarily in one’s personal collection. H . D. Attwood
Pathology of the Vulva and Vagina. Edited by EDWARD J . WILKINSON. Churchill Livingstone, New York, Edinburgh, London, Melbourne, 1987. ISBN 0-443-08514-5, pp. vii + 340, illustrated. $126.00. This is the ninth volume in the series Contemporary Issues in Surgical Pathology and is dedicated “to the women who have suffered with the tumours and diseases presented in this work” - an unusual but legitimate dedication, perhaps, and a sign of the times that an entire volume can be devoted to a subject which not many decades ago would have been truncated by cultural reticence. The relative lack of competition for this volume, however, has in no way persuaded the editor and authors to diminish the comprehensiveness with which they have addressed the topic at hand and, indeed, the usual refusal to acknowledge that congenital anomalies form an integral part of pathology is the only evident deficiency. Chapters on biopsy methods, examination of the surgical specimens and special histological techniques (immunoperoxidase, in-situ DNA hybridization) broaden the scope of the book and bridge the spheres of interest of pathologists and gynecologists. As expected from a book in this series, emphasis is placed on current topics in the medical literature - papillomavirus infection and its relation to lower genital tract cancer, carcinoma-in-situ and micro-invasive cancer of the vulva and vagina, verrucous carcinoma, melanoma, vaginal adenosis and its sequelae, soft tissue tumours and tumour-like conditions. The book is well illustrated (almost 200 figures) and the index is adequate, if not encyclopedic - internationally accepted synonyms and terminologies are largely ignored by the entirely American list of contributors. Nevertheless, this is a thoroughly recommendable addition to the working libraries of gynecologists and pathologists. Peter Russell
AND JOHNR. CRAIG. Liver Pathology. Edited by ROBERTL. PETERS Churchill Livingstone, New York, Edinburgh, London, Melbourne, 1986. ISBN 0-443-08402-5, pp i + 390, illustrated. $145.00. Robert L. Peters was working on this monograph, which is Volume 8 in the series Contemporary Issues in Surgical Pathology, at the time of his tragic and unexpected death. John R. Craig is to be commended for completing the work, but one wonders what the book would have been like had circumstances been different. Bob Peter’s wisdom and years of experience are readily perceived in his excellent introductory chapter and in his comprehensive chapter ‘Viral Inflammatory Diseases’.