Viral hepatitis

Viral hepatitis

DIAGN MICROBIOLINFECT DIS 1994;19:249 249 BOOK REVIEW Viral Hepatitis, 2nd ed. R.S. Koff, J. Dienstag, C.A. Reily, and P.H.R. Green. Timonium, MD: ...

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DIAGN MICROBIOLINFECT DIS 1994;19:249

249

BOOK REVIEW

Viral Hepatitis, 2nd ed. R.S. Koff, J. Dienstag, C.A. Reily, and P.H.R. Green. Timonium, MD: MilnerFenwick, $150.00 The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has a teaching project for the production of a number of educational slide-narrative sets that have a variety of applications ranging from self-learning devices to preparing lectures for classroom, training programs, and so on. The sets are all of high quality, and this second edition of the set on viral hepatitis is no exception. This recently released product consists of 98 slides and an accompanying text with appropriate references that elegantly cover the natural history, biology, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and preventive aspects for the five currently recognized types of viral hepatitis. This slide set and narrative booklet are not organized as a textbook or a monograph; rather, groups of slides are arranged in a manner much like a teacher would prepare slides for a series of lectures on hepatitis. First is a brief introduction to hepatitis as a disease, which is followed by a lengthy "discussion" of each agent of viral hepatitis. In the slide-narrative presentation, the agents

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and their disease are covered in this order: hepatitis A, E, B, D, and C. The information is as current as can be with this type of undertaking. The user will find information on the biology of the viral agent, natural history of the disease, the virologic and serologic features of the recognized clinical stages, and sequelae of the disease caused by each virus. Also, the slides depict the epidemiology, immunoprophylaxis, and other preventive measures for each type; where applicable, the histology of the hepatic lesions of acute, chronic, and fulminant hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma are illustrated. Possibly, the only subject that is not covered is a slide showing a comparison of HBV and HIV infection, with another slide on concomitant HBV and HIV infection. However, this is not a serious oversight, and this set is a splendid teaching-learning resource and will be a welcome addition to any library for use by students and faculty w h o want to learn, prepare a lecture, or both, on the fascinating spectrum of viral hepatitis. ALBERT BALOWS, PHD Book Review Editor