Book reviews

Histology for Pathologists, 2nd edn

Edited by S Sternberg, Philadelphia, Lippincott-Raven;1997, ISBN 0-397-51718-1, 1216 pages $195, int.$245

A large histopathology department of a teachinghospital, with many trainees, creates tangible evidenceof book usage. The ®rst edition of this book sits in ourcommunal reporting room with a broken spine andwell-thumbed page corners re¯ecting 5 years ofpersistent reference by consultants and trainees alike.It does not fall open at one particular page, the bindingis evenly stretched, because all sections of the book havebeen regularly consulted. Trainees use the book tofamiliarize themselves with normal histology so thatthey can interpret pathology. More experienced staff useit when they come across a histological curiosity andwonder whether it is a variant of normality, anembryological remnant or a true pathology. Thereare no other textbooks which provide such comprehen-sive coverage of histology within a histopathologicalcontext and it is indispensable for any histopathologydepartment.

Does the second edition bring any advantages apartfrom a new spine and bindings? The overall size hasincreased from 977 to 1216 pages with the addition ofchapters on apoptosis, joints, paranasal sinuses and theoral cavity. The chapter on apoptosis is well-writtenwith clear electron and light micrographs and a briefhistorical context. It is a slight curiosity in that it is theonly chapter on a process rather than a body system.The editor may have wished to include it because of therecent recognition of the importance of this process,which can be identi®ed by light microscopy, but whichwas ignored for many years. However there are othermore familiar processes, such as mitosis, which mayalso deserve coverage since many studies show a poorlevel of inter- and intra-observer reliability in theiridenti®cation. The other new chapters are worthwhileadditions and existing chapters have been revised.

This is a large, and relatively expensive, textbookbut it remains the de®nitive histological referencefor histopathologists and should be available in allpathology departments.

S Cross

Biopsy Pathology of the Oral Tissues

E W Odell and P R Morgan, Chapman & Hall, 1997, 504pages, $75.00 (hardback)

Oral pathology represents a small but signi®cantproportion of the workload in many non-teachingcentres and appropriate training can be dif®cult toobtain. Specimens arrive from a wide variety of sourcesincluding dentists, maxillo-facial or ENT surgeons anddermatologists. Larger centres may have specialist oralpathologists and some fortunate non-teaching centres,such as my own, bene®t from routine review of materialfor personal education and audit purposes. The authorsof this book have successfully produced a bench manualof oral biopsy pathology for the non-specialist histo-pathologist.

The standard `Biopsy Pathology' series style ofpresentation is used and this assists the reader. Thetext is pleasantly punctuated by illustrations but manyof these ®gures are dark and could be improved. I foundmyself longing for an occasional glimpse of colour. Theauthors have rightly concentrated on mucosal lesionswhich account for the majority of oral specimens.In¯ammatory and premalignant lesions are extensivelycovered providing practical help with diagnosis. Oralpathology is no different from other areas of histo-pathology in that many diagnostic problems can besolved simply through provision of appropriate clinicaland radiological information. The text usefully outlinesthe essential information required in this respect but thelack of any radiographic illustrations was a disappoint-ment. Histopathologists should insist on receipt ofradiographs in appropriate cases and must seek expertradiologist interpretation where necessary. A multi-disciplinary meeting is the ideal forum and these willundoubtedly become compulsory within proposals forhead and neck cancer centre accreditation.

There are good chapters on bone lesions, odontogeniccysts and tumours. I was surprised to ®nd that thechapter on the handling of surgical specimens includeduseful practical information regarding larger `biopsies'such as block dissections and complex resection speci-mens. This section could be improved by the inclusion ofillustrations to demonstrate important features, such asthe lymph node classi®cation levels for block dissectionsof the neck. The authors rightly stress that good co-operation between surgeon and pathologist is essentialif reports are to contain all appropriate information.

Salivary gland tumours are not covered, but this doesnot detract from the utility of the book in any way. The

Histopathology 1999, 34, 76±77

q 1999 Blackwell Science Limited.

pathology of teeth is also sensibly omitted (specialistlaboratories are equipped with more than a hacksawand formal acetic acid solution) but a useful section ontooth nomenclature is included in the appendices to aidinterpretation of the relationship between teeth andlesions; request forms often bear irritating shorthandnotations. Other appendices include TNM staging fororal and pharyngeal carcinoma.

My colleagues and I have found this book to be aninvaluable addition to our reference library. There hasrarely been a day when the book has not been used andsomething new is learnt on each visit and thisrepresents a good return on an outlay of £75.

R D Start

Book reviews 77

q 1999 Blackwell Science Ltd, Histopathology, 34, 76±77.