- Email: [email protected]
Textbook of oral and maxillo-facial surgery
British Journal of Oral Surgery (1980) l&90-91
BOOK REVIEWS Textbook of Oral and Maxilla-Facial Surgery. By G. 0. KRUGER. 5th Edition. St. Louis: C. V. Mosby, 1979, pp. 743, price 517.50. At first sight this new edition appears to be an outstanding contribution to the literature with its distinguished list of authors, and profuse illustrations including some excellent line drawings. One accepts the transatlantic approach to exodontia as being different but on more detailed examination the text varies from idiosyncrasy to confusion in many crucial areas. For instance, the chapter on cysts describes mucoceles and ranulas as being retention rather than extravasation phenomena and recommends marsupialisation for the latter; a sure way to produce a recurrence. The dental cyst section also describes primordial cysts and keratocysts as separate entities and without a single photomicrograph leaving those readers who regard them as synonymous in a state of wonder as to what classification is being employed. The maxillary sinus chapter, after stating ‘epidermoid carcinoma of the antrum is more common than sarcoma’, then dismisses this important topic in a few words which include the highly questionable comment that metastases may cause death before local extension occurs! In the antibiotic section, intramuscular penicillin is recommended to be given in the deltoid or triceps so that a tourniquet may be applied in the event of anaphylactoid reaction! There is also no mention of the dangerous clindamycin-induced colitis nor adequate practical advice on the management of acute drug reactions. I would disagree with the administration of antibiotics to a patient with osteomyelitis before drainage and sampling the pus for culture and sensitivity. Does one really need to insert tubes nowadays for irrigation of these cases? Boyne is good on bone grafting but insists on calling allografts, homografts in the captions of his illustrations. How should one respond to the statement that with bony ankylosis of the temporo-mandibular joint there is no choice but to establish a surgical juncture below the mass of dense bone, particularly as we now have excellent evidence that the costochondral graft (not described) is the best approach to this problem? Haemophilia is mentioned in ‘Bleeding Disorders’ but without any reference to the use of cryoprecipitate or antifibrinolytic drugs which have revolutionised the management of major surgical haemorrhage problems. The section on tumours is inadequate on the important dental care aspects of radiotherapy and completely out of date on the use of intra-arterial chemotherapy. The neurologicalchapter is better on leprous neuropathy and neurosyphilis than the common psychogenic facial pains and is unhelpful as far as their management is concerned. In summary, the sections on pure surgical technique are on the whole good and profusely illustrated. However, the standard of editing, particularly in relation to much of the included derivative material, leaves a great deal to be desired and I would not recommend this book for teaching purposes. MALCOLMHARRIS
Textbook of Oral Biology. Eds. J. H. Shaw, A. R. SWEENEY,0. C. CAPPUCCINOand S. M. MELLER. Philadelphia, London and Toronto: W. B. Saunders, 1978, pp. 1178, price f24.50. The four editors tell us in their Preface that this very large textbook has come onto the market because ‘no textbook or even a small group of textbooks was available to help the students become versed in the rapidly progressing frontiers of the numerous and diverse facets in oral biology’. In this reviewer’s opinion, oral biology is an administrator’s or territory-hungry academic’s creation which need never have been conceived had departments of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, etc., been prepared to take on competent dental graduates capable of teaching the oral aspects of these subjects. Now it has departments, professors and inevitably, therefore, undergraduate lecture courses and 90
BOOK REVIEWS Textbook of Oral and Maxilla-Facial Surgery. By G. 0. KRUGER. 5th Edition. St. Louis: C. V. Mosby, 1979, pp. 743, price 517.50. At first sight this new edition appears to be an outstanding contribution to the literature with its distinguished list of authors, and profuse illustrations including some excellent line drawings. One accepts the transatlantic approach to exodontia as being different but on more detailed examination the text varies from idiosyncrasy to confusion in many crucial areas. For instance, the chapter on cysts describes mucoceles and ranulas as being retention rather than extravasation phenomena and recommends marsupialisation for the latter; a sure way to produce a recurrence. The dental cyst section also describes primordial cysts and keratocysts as separate entities and without a single photomicrograph leaving those readers who regard them as synonymous in a state of wonder as to what classification is being employed. The maxillary sinus chapter, after stating ‘epidermoid carcinoma of the antrum is more common than sarcoma’, then dismisses this important topic in a few words which include the highly questionable comment that metastases may cause death before local extension occurs! In the antibiotic section, intramuscular penicillin is recommended to be given in the deltoid or triceps so that a tourniquet may be applied in the event of anaphylactoid reaction! There is also no mention of the dangerous clindamycin-induced colitis nor adequate practical advice on the management of acute drug reactions. I would disagree with the administration of antibiotics to a patient with osteomyelitis before drainage and sampling the pus for culture and sensitivity. Does one really need to insert tubes nowadays for irrigation of these cases? Boyne is good on bone grafting but insists on calling allografts, homografts in the captions of his illustrations. How should one respond to the statement that with bony ankylosis of the temporo-mandibular joint there is no choice but to establish a surgical juncture below the mass of dense bone, particularly as we now have excellent evidence that the costochondral graft (not described) is the best approach to this problem? Haemophilia is mentioned in ‘Bleeding Disorders’ but without any reference to the use of cryoprecipitate or antifibrinolytic drugs which have revolutionised the management of major surgical haemorrhage problems. The section on tumours is inadequate on the important dental care aspects of radiotherapy and completely out of date on the use of intra-arterial chemotherapy. The neurologicalchapter is better on leprous neuropathy and neurosyphilis than the common psychogenic facial pains and is unhelpful as far as their management is concerned. In summary, the sections on pure surgical technique are on the whole good and profusely illustrated. However, the standard of editing, particularly in relation to much of the included derivative material, leaves a great deal to be desired and I would not recommend this book for teaching purposes. MALCOLMHARRIS
Textbook of Oral Biology. Eds. J. H. Shaw, A. R. SWEENEY,0. C. CAPPUCCINOand S. M. MELLER. Philadelphia, London and Toronto: W. B. Saunders, 1978, pp. 1178, price f24.50. The four editors tell us in their Preface that this very large textbook has come onto the market because ‘no textbook or even a small group of textbooks was available to help the students become versed in the rapidly progressing frontiers of the numerous and diverse facets in oral biology’. In this reviewer’s opinion, oral biology is an administrator’s or territory-hungry academic’s creation which need never have been conceived had departments of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, etc., been prepared to take on competent dental graduates capable of teaching the oral aspects of these subjects. Now it has departments, professors and inevitably, therefore, undergraduate lecture courses and 90