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Textbook of dermatology. 6th ed
BOOK REVIEWS
Textbook of dermatology. 6th ed. R. H. Champion, J. L. Burton, D. A. Burns, and S. M. Breathnach, editors, Oxford, 1998, Blackwell Science Ltd. In 4 volumes. 3683 pages (+ 92 index pages). $695. The Rook/Wilkinson/Ebling Textbook of Dermatology is one of the towering academic and clinical achievements of twentieth century dermatology. One of my most long-standing ambitions has been to read it from cover to cover. This is to announce that my project has commenced, but, in the meantime, I did not think it would be fair to delay publishing a review of it until I or someone else had read it through. That is not to say that I believe or even imagine it is entirely necessary for a book reviewer to read every single page. (Upon being asked if he had read a new book through, Samuel Johnson replied, “No, sir, do you read books through?“) And, although it is indeed a classic,-the culminating achievement of nearly two centuries of British leadership in dermatology that started in 1808 with Robert Willan’s On Cutaneous Diseases, it is not the sort of classic Mark Twain defined as “a book which people praise and don’t read.” This is a book that dermatologists will more than read: they will use it. Based on my experience with each of the preceding editions (except the first, which came out in 1968), and on a quick perusal of the 4-volume 6th edition, I am prepared to come right out and make a categorical statement: no self-respecting dermatologist should even think of practicing our specialty without a copy of this book close at hand. Let me admit to a conflict of interest. I have contributed to the Fitzpatrick textbook, Dermatology in General Medicine, and I love that book, too. Another confounding variable is that I can be accused of loving anything with two covers and some pages in between. But the residents in our training program can attest to the fact that I use both of these texts, and quite a few others, during clinic. The previous editions of each have decorative touches of duct tape holding them together, and one of our favorite routines is to look something up in both. (The contest here is not which is better, but who can find the answer first.) Although some people might think of the leading American textbook of dermatology and the leading British one as competitors, it is simply remarkable to observe how complementary these two major works are. In my opinion, no self-respecting dermatologist should practice without a copy of Fitzpatrick close at hand, either. (A review of Fitzpatrick’s will be forthcoming.) J AMACAD
DERMATOL
One thing I’ve always liked about the Textbook of Dermatology is the approach it takes to anatomic structures and regions of the body in such a way that you can get from the index to a diagnosis and differential diagnosis without already knowing what the patient has. You might know what blepharophimosis syndrome is, but the next time I see a patient with blepharophimosis, ptosis, epicanthus inversus, and telecanthus (actually, it would be the first time), I will be glad to know I can get from “eyelids” in the index to an entire section that includes not only some exotic eyelid syndromes, but helpful tables listing both the systemic and local causes of periorbital edema as well. Although the profound influence of the original 3 editors (Arthur Rook, Darrell Wilkinson, and John Ebling) can still be felt, it is entirely clear that Champion, Burton, Burns, and Breathnach have invigorated the text and done far more than merely update the citations. Twenty-one of the 70 authors are new, and, as in the past, they are still mainly from the United Kingdom. This practice seems to continue to foster more integration, cohesiveness, and uniformity of style than might otherwise be possible. Each chapter has been updated. Since the last edition, at least 100 new “clinical entities” have been described and added to the text, and at least 350 new words have been added to the index. The basic science chapters have been updated and expanded, but according to Dr Champion, they do not “. . .aim to cover all that is now known of cutaneous biology but aim to provide either the information or a lead in to the literature as needed by a clinical dermatologist” (personal communication). There are new chapters on epidemiology and molecular biology Sections on surgery, HIV/AIDS, and wound healing have been expanded. Although I have not seen the electronic version of the 6th edition, I have worked with the CD-ROM edition of the 5th. Some features and search capabilities were handy, but it didn’t take long before I drifted back to total reliance on the print version. That may reflect the way one person prefers to obtain certain kinds of information, or it may say something about the endurability of the textbook concept even in the face of information glut and electronic fancy-shmancy It may also say something about a category of information, we could call it “textbook-type information,” that still does best, and may even be more easily and pleasantly accessed, in book-type objects. The RookiWilkinson’Ebling Textbook of Dermatology is a delight to hold, a delight to browse, and a delight to read. Its organization is extremely practical JANUARY 2000, PARTY
149
150 Book reviews
J AM ACAD DERMATOL JANUARY 2000
for the practicing physician, it is extensively referenced, and it covers everything from the rarest of conditions to an enchanting chapter entitled “The Ages of Man and Their Dermatoses.” (Don’t miss the artwork on page 3283 but ignore the typo. Or is it a variant spelling from Dryden?) The binding is strong, the color is excellent, the explanatory diagrams lucid. The paper is a pleasure to touch. As usual, Blackwell’s designers have done a beautiful job. I would go to it before I went to the Internet any day, and it is worth every pence.
Jesfrey D. Bernhard, MD Editor 16/8/101893
Atlas
of contact
dermatitis
R. L. Rietschel, MD, L. Conde-Salazar, MD, A. Goossens, RPharm, PhD, and N. K. Veien, MD, London, 1999, Martin Dunitz. 325 pages. Dermatologists love picture books! This textbook nicely illustrates the spectrum of contact dermatitis with crisp clinical photographs and brief synopses of cases. The writing content summarizes the minimum essentials of contact dermatitis, testing techniques, and management. Organization of chapters demonstrates dermatitis likely to occur relevant to
CALL
FOR PATIENTS
WITH
specific body regions, patterns, or contactants, and occupations, giving the reader an opportunity to cross-reference possibilities by any of those features. This book is fun to look at for a contact dermatitis “nut” like me and will be kept “on the desk” in our clinic area to share with residents, students, nurses, and other health care providers learning about contact dermatitis and occupational skin diseases. It will be great for dermatology training programs, medical libraries, and similar educational environments. Its weak point is that the section on management is very general and would be of limited use at the bedside. It would have been helpful to have some information about treatment and outcome as well as examples of follow-up photographs for some of the clinical vignettes. An understanding of the nuances of management expectations, especially the time to healing with appropriate avoidance measures, is worth underscoring. If I had a wish for this book, it would be that a slide set were available or “downloadable” for those of us who teach and preach contact dermatitis, which is the essence of what we dermatologists do well.
INHERITED
Elizabeth F Sherertq MD Winston-Salem, North Carolina 16/8/101445
DISEASES
OF THE
SKIN
We in San Francisco as well as skin biologists in other cities are interested in finding the chromosomal location and eventually identifying the genes whose abnormalities underlie several inherited diseases of the skin. Initially, the group believes diseases for which this strategy offers the most likely insights include several disorders of keratinization (ichthyoses, Darier’s disease, and Hailey-Hailey disease), several forms of epidermolysis bullosa, several forms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and keloids. Indeed, ongoing studies of several such diseases have already been fruitful. We are eager to identify kindreds with these conditions-larger kindreds for the more common disorders (e.g., psoriasis, atopic dermatitis), and smaller as well as larger kindreds for the less common disorders (e.g., Darier’s disease). If you know of such a kindred,please contact Ervin Epstein, Jr., MD, Room 269, Bldg. 100, 1001 Potrero St., San Francisco, CA 94110; telephone: 1-800-2851267; fax: (415) 282-5998. Investigators interested in collaborating more actively in such a linkage analysis at either the clinical or the laboratory level also are most welcome to contact Dr. Epstein.
Textbook of dermatology. 6th ed. R. H. Champion, J. L. Burton, D. A. Burns, and S. M. Breathnach, editors, Oxford, 1998, Blackwell Science Ltd. In 4 volumes. 3683 pages (+ 92 index pages). $695. The Rook/Wilkinson/Ebling Textbook of Dermatology is one of the towering academic and clinical achievements of twentieth century dermatology. One of my most long-standing ambitions has been to read it from cover to cover. This is to announce that my project has commenced, but, in the meantime, I did not think it would be fair to delay publishing a review of it until I or someone else had read it through. That is not to say that I believe or even imagine it is entirely necessary for a book reviewer to read every single page. (Upon being asked if he had read a new book through, Samuel Johnson replied, “No, sir, do you read books through?“) And, although it is indeed a classic,-the culminating achievement of nearly two centuries of British leadership in dermatology that started in 1808 with Robert Willan’s On Cutaneous Diseases, it is not the sort of classic Mark Twain defined as “a book which people praise and don’t read.” This is a book that dermatologists will more than read: they will use it. Based on my experience with each of the preceding editions (except the first, which came out in 1968), and on a quick perusal of the 4-volume 6th edition, I am prepared to come right out and make a categorical statement: no self-respecting dermatologist should even think of practicing our specialty without a copy of this book close at hand. Let me admit to a conflict of interest. I have contributed to the Fitzpatrick textbook, Dermatology in General Medicine, and I love that book, too. Another confounding variable is that I can be accused of loving anything with two covers and some pages in between. But the residents in our training program can attest to the fact that I use both of these texts, and quite a few others, during clinic. The previous editions of each have decorative touches of duct tape holding them together, and one of our favorite routines is to look something up in both. (The contest here is not which is better, but who can find the answer first.) Although some people might think of the leading American textbook of dermatology and the leading British one as competitors, it is simply remarkable to observe how complementary these two major works are. In my opinion, no self-respecting dermatologist should practice without a copy of Fitzpatrick close at hand, either. (A review of Fitzpatrick’s will be forthcoming.) J AMACAD
DERMATOL
One thing I’ve always liked about the Textbook of Dermatology is the approach it takes to anatomic structures and regions of the body in such a way that you can get from the index to a diagnosis and differential diagnosis without already knowing what the patient has. You might know what blepharophimosis syndrome is, but the next time I see a patient with blepharophimosis, ptosis, epicanthus inversus, and telecanthus (actually, it would be the first time), I will be glad to know I can get from “eyelids” in the index to an entire section that includes not only some exotic eyelid syndromes, but helpful tables listing both the systemic and local causes of periorbital edema as well. Although the profound influence of the original 3 editors (Arthur Rook, Darrell Wilkinson, and John Ebling) can still be felt, it is entirely clear that Champion, Burton, Burns, and Breathnach have invigorated the text and done far more than merely update the citations. Twenty-one of the 70 authors are new, and, as in the past, they are still mainly from the United Kingdom. This practice seems to continue to foster more integration, cohesiveness, and uniformity of style than might otherwise be possible. Each chapter has been updated. Since the last edition, at least 100 new “clinical entities” have been described and added to the text, and at least 350 new words have been added to the index. The basic science chapters have been updated and expanded, but according to Dr Champion, they do not “. . .aim to cover all that is now known of cutaneous biology but aim to provide either the information or a lead in to the literature as needed by a clinical dermatologist” (personal communication). There are new chapters on epidemiology and molecular biology Sections on surgery, HIV/AIDS, and wound healing have been expanded. Although I have not seen the electronic version of the 6th edition, I have worked with the CD-ROM edition of the 5th. Some features and search capabilities were handy, but it didn’t take long before I drifted back to total reliance on the print version. That may reflect the way one person prefers to obtain certain kinds of information, or it may say something about the endurability of the textbook concept even in the face of information glut and electronic fancy-shmancy It may also say something about a category of information, we could call it “textbook-type information,” that still does best, and may even be more easily and pleasantly accessed, in book-type objects. The RookiWilkinson’Ebling Textbook of Dermatology is a delight to hold, a delight to browse, and a delight to read. Its organization is extremely practical JANUARY 2000, PARTY
149
150 Book reviews
J AM ACAD DERMATOL JANUARY 2000
for the practicing physician, it is extensively referenced, and it covers everything from the rarest of conditions to an enchanting chapter entitled “The Ages of Man and Their Dermatoses.” (Don’t miss the artwork on page 3283 but ignore the typo. Or is it a variant spelling from Dryden?) The binding is strong, the color is excellent, the explanatory diagrams lucid. The paper is a pleasure to touch. As usual, Blackwell’s designers have done a beautiful job. I would go to it before I went to the Internet any day, and it is worth every pence.
Jesfrey D. Bernhard, MD Editor 16/8/101893
Atlas
of contact
dermatitis
R. L. Rietschel, MD, L. Conde-Salazar, MD, A. Goossens, RPharm, PhD, and N. K. Veien, MD, London, 1999, Martin Dunitz. 325 pages. Dermatologists love picture books! This textbook nicely illustrates the spectrum of contact dermatitis with crisp clinical photographs and brief synopses of cases. The writing content summarizes the minimum essentials of contact dermatitis, testing techniques, and management. Organization of chapters demonstrates dermatitis likely to occur relevant to
CALL
FOR PATIENTS
WITH
specific body regions, patterns, or contactants, and occupations, giving the reader an opportunity to cross-reference possibilities by any of those features. This book is fun to look at for a contact dermatitis “nut” like me and will be kept “on the desk” in our clinic area to share with residents, students, nurses, and other health care providers learning about contact dermatitis and occupational skin diseases. It will be great for dermatology training programs, medical libraries, and similar educational environments. Its weak point is that the section on management is very general and would be of limited use at the bedside. It would have been helpful to have some information about treatment and outcome as well as examples of follow-up photographs for some of the clinical vignettes. An understanding of the nuances of management expectations, especially the time to healing with appropriate avoidance measures, is worth underscoring. If I had a wish for this book, it would be that a slide set were available or “downloadable” for those of us who teach and preach contact dermatitis, which is the essence of what we dermatologists do well.
INHERITED
Elizabeth F Sherertq MD Winston-Salem, North Carolina 16/8/101445
DISEASES
OF THE
SKIN
We in San Francisco as well as skin biologists in other cities are interested in finding the chromosomal location and eventually identifying the genes whose abnormalities underlie several inherited diseases of the skin. Initially, the group believes diseases for which this strategy offers the most likely insights include several disorders of keratinization (ichthyoses, Darier’s disease, and Hailey-Hailey disease), several forms of epidermolysis bullosa, several forms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and keloids. Indeed, ongoing studies of several such diseases have already been fruitful. We are eager to identify kindreds with these conditions-larger kindreds for the more common disorders (e.g., psoriasis, atopic dermatitis), and smaller as well as larger kindreds for the less common disorders (e.g., Darier’s disease). If you know of such a kindred,please contact Ervin Epstein, Jr., MD, Room 269, Bldg. 100, 1001 Potrero St., San Francisco, CA 94110; telephone: 1-800-2851267; fax: (415) 282-5998. Investigators interested in collaborating more actively in such a linkage analysis at either the clinical or the laboratory level also are most welcome to contact Dr. Epstein.