Histopathology 2000, 37, 375

Book review

Atlas of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy andEndoscopic Biopsies

T S Emory, H A Carpenter, C J Gostout, L H Sobin, ArmedForces Institute of Pathology, Washington DC, 2000ISBN 1±881041±64±6, $125.00

The facility for correlation between clinical and histo-pathology findings is essential for any high qualityhealthcare service. The majority of histopathology speci-mens do not present any diagnostic problems and canusually be reported with the clinical information given onthe request form. However there will be a minority inwhich discussion between the clinician and histopathol-ogist is vital to arrive at the correct diagnosis, or selectionof differential diagnoses. Most histopathology depart-ments run regular clinicopathological meetings and inmany countries this is now formalized within accredita-tion processes. Much useful information flows betweenbiopsy takers and interpreters at such meetings but thereis a general lack of textbooks that provide similarcorrelation. This atlas seeks to bridge the gap betweenclinical gastroenterology and histopathology by providingcorrelation between images taken at endoscopy and downthe light microscope. The images are classified by site andpathological process with side by side presentation of theendoscopic and microscopic images. Many of the lightmicroscopic images are at a low magnification thatfacilitates comparison with the view down the endoscope.There is brief accompanying text that describes theendoscopic and clinical features. The overall presentationis clear and the quality of the images is high.

How might histopathologists benefit from this book?There are a restricted number of macroscopic lesions inthe gastrointestinal tract Ð polyps, ulcers andhaemorrhages cover the vast majority of abnormalities.However there are a wide range of pathologies that cancause each type of macroscopic lesion and these canonly be defined by detailed light microscopy, sometimeswith stains additional to haematoxylin and eosin. I amnot sure that this atlas provides any additionalinformation for the histopathologist in diagnosticpractice. For example, an ulcer in the stomach can becaused by carcinoma, lymphoma, peptic ulcer disease,or infections in immunocompromised hosts. Thehistopathologist needs to know what pathologies cancause an ulcer but will not attach any diagnostic valueto subtle variations in ulcer appearance at endoscopy.This is not a book that I can imagine being used as aneveryday reference during the reporting of specimens.However this book does provide an excellent overviewof all the diseases in the gastrointestinal tract that giverise to distinct endoscopic abnormalities that generatebiopsies. It is thus a valuable book for the traineehistopathologist who needs to get a `big picture' ofgastrointestinal pathology that will not be provided bythe biased selection of biopsies in routine diagnosticpractice. This copy of the atlas will be placed on theshelves of the reporting room in our teaching hospitaldepartment and I shall be recommending that alltrainees read it during their training in gastrointestinalpathology.

S Cross

q 2000 Blackwell Science Limited.