Books
medical and graduate histology
Pathology Illustrated
5th ed, by Peter S. Macfarlane, Robin
Reid, and Robin Callander, 696 pp, Lon-
don, United Kingdom, Churchill Living-
stone, 2000.
Organized into 15 chapters, Pathol-
ogy Illustrated presents a wealth of in-
formation in a concise format. The
first 6 chapters cover general process-
es, such as inflammation, infection
and, neoplasia, and the subsequent 9
chapters cover systems (eg, cardio-
vascular diseases, the respiratory sys-
tem, or the gastrointestinal tract). Se-
lected ‘‘core topics’’ consist of brief
text, which provides key concepts
and terminology and is supplement-
ed by cartoon figures that reinforce
those concepts or provide additional
information. The authors emphasize
clinically relevant pathology. This
book is wonderful in giving the read-
er all the key words and phrases of
pathology without the slightest bow
to pax Americana—colliquative (but
never liquefactive) necrosis.
If this book has a limitation, it is
that it should not be used in isolation.
The text requires readers to have a
deeper understanding of physiology
and medical terminology than is typ-
ically required of many allied health
students. Indeed, some of the infor-
mation provided by the figures is
presented so subtly that the book is
most useful to those who already
know pathology. Despite this reser-
vation, this book has 2 glaring
strengths: (1) it is concise, which
serves to avoid what the authors refer
to as ‘‘the adverse effects of ‘infor-
mation overload’ [inflicted] upon
medical students,’’ and (2) it is con-
textual in that clinically relevant pa-
thology is emphasized.
In summary, the important con-
cepts are clarified so well that this
book should be a welcome addition
to the libraries of students (and
teachers) of pathology in both medi-
cal and allied health fields.
G. KENNETH HAINES III, MD
Chicago, Ill
Arch Pathol Lab Med—Vol 125, May 2001
Wheater’s Functional
Histology: A Text and
Colour Atlas
4th ed, by Barbara Young and John W.
Heath, 424 pp, with illus, Philadelphia,
Pa, Churchill Livingstone, 2000.
The fourth edition of Wheater’s
Functional Histology: A Text and Colour
Atlas is a well-written and well-illus-
trated documentation of the basic as-
pects of histology.
The photomicrographs included in
the chapters are excellent. Both the
electron micrographs and the light
micrographs are very clear and well
labeled. Figure legends are extensive
and provide more than adequate de-
scriptions of the figures. In addition,
the diagrams are markedly improved
from the previous version of this at-
las. While the photographs alone
would have made this atlas one of the
best available, the inclusion of dia-
grams boosts it to the top-notch level.
The text that accompanies the mi-
crographs is quite readable. It pro-
vides a basic overview of the organ-
elles, tissues, and organ systems. Al-
though the text is not extensive
enough to provide all of the neces-
sary written material for a graduate
or medical histology course, it likely
would be adequate for undergradu-
ate students. In addition, the book
could serve as a refresher for those
who have previously taken the course
and want to review the material.
The inclusion of the CD-ROM is an
added bonus for both faculty and
students. It enables the instructors to
readily utilize the images in the book
in lectures and review sessions. In
addition, students can select and re-
arrange the diagrams and photomi-
crographs to review specific sections
of the material. Thus, the CD-ROM
can be a benefit to both instructors
and students.
Overall, the fourth edition of Whea-
ter’s Functional Histology: A Text and
Colour Atlas is an excellent atlas for
courses.
ELIZABETH J. KOVACS, PhD
Maywood, Ill
Therapeutic
Interventions in the
Complement System
Edited by John D. Lambris and V. Mi-
chael Holers, 259 pp, with illus, Totowa,
NJ, Humana Press, 2000.
This book contains a series of com-
prehensive reviews (chapters) on the
control or inhibition of various com-
plement components as an approach
to therapeutic strategies in inflam-
mation and disease. Topics include
discussions of the regulatory and ef-
fector pathways of complement in
human diseases, regulation of C1 ac-
tivation and its role in disease, selec-
tive inhibitions of various comple-
ment components, use of recombi-
nant human endogenous comple-
ment inhibitors, current techniques of
complement measurements, and the
use of animal models to define com-
plement functions.
This book provides an up-to-date
overview of complement reactions
and functions with an emphasis on
current approaches to specific mod-
ulation of the complement system as
a therapeutic means.
There are 10 chapters in this book.
The first chapter provides a well-
written, concise review of the com-
plement system, its activation path-
ways, receptors, general biological
activities, diseases in which comple-
ment is known to play a role, and a
broad discussion of experimental
ways to inhibit complement activa-
tion. Next is a chapter on C1-inhibitor
therapy in animal models and in clin-
ical diseases, focusing on hereditary
angioedema, sepsis, vascular leak
syndrome, and acute myocardial in-
farction. Approaches to inhibition of
complement serine proteases are dis-
Books 708

cussed in the third chapter. Then, the
complement components C3, C4, and
C5 and their inhibitors are discussed
in detail, supported by an extensive
list of references. A similarly compre-
hensive and well-written review cov-
ers the anaphylatoxins, their recep-
tors, and potential therapeutic drugs
that may affect these biological activ-
ities. A chapter on the use of recom-
binant human endogenous comple-
ment inhibitors is followed by addi-
tional chapters dealing with thera-
peutic strategies involving CR3 and
CR4, and the inhibition of the mem-
brane attack pathway. Of particular
value is a chapter on major current
techniques to measure complement.
These include the classic CH50 assay
and modifications of this assay that
allow for measurements of individual
complement components. The book
closes with a captivating chapter on
the use of animal models to define
the role of complement components,
particularly C5a, in inflammatory
kidney and lung diseases.
This is a well-written, critical, and
up-to-date reference on potential
therapeutic strategies and interven-
tions in the complement system. This
book will be of interest to experimen-
tal as well as clinical investigators in
the field of complement with special
interest in its role in disease process-
es.
GERD O. TILL, MD
Ann Arbor, Mich
Hepatocellular
Carcinoma: Methods and
Protocols
Edited by Nagy A. Habib, 302 pp, with
illus, Totowa, NJ, Humana Press, 2000.
Hepatocellular carcinoma has be-
come one of the most common ma-
lignant tumors worldwide. The pri-
mary reason for this dramatic in-
crease is the widespread incidence of
hepatitis B and C virus infection. It is
accepted that patients with cirrhosis
due to hepatitis C virus have a 10%
incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma
after 20 years.
In the United States alone there are
more than 3 million cases of chronic
Arch Pathol Lab Med—Vol 125, May 2001
Books
hepatitis C virus infection, which has
made it a very important public
health problem. It is not surprising,
then, that the subject of hepatocellu-
lar carcinoma has attracted the atten-
tion of investigators, leading to sig-
nificant advances, especially in our
understanding of the pathophysiolo-
gy of this malignancy.
The bulk of methodological inno-
vations has centered on molecular
pathology. It is in this regard that the
book Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Meth-
ods and Protocols, edited by Nagy A.
Habib, is a welcome addition to the
field. This 302-page book is divided
into 5 parts, written by 50 authors.
Part I deals with the clinical prob-
lem of hepatocellular carcinoma and
its medical management. All modal-
ities of the medical therapeutic ap-
proach are discussed, with careful
description of the advantages and
disadvantages of each method. The
methods include liver resection,
transplantation, arterial chemoem-
bolization, percutaneous ethanol in-
jection, radiotherapy, chemotherapy,
thermotherapy, and combination
therapy.
Part II deals with carcinogenesis,
the role of the NS3 protein of hepa-
titis C virus, the role of p53 tumor
suppressor, and the significance of
liver cell dysplasia. Part III describes
the molecular and biological charac-
teristics of the hepatitis B and C vi-
ruses, the various markers of hepa-
tocellular carcinoma, and the expres-
sion of p53, p21, and Rb proteins in
hepatocellular carcinoma.
Part IV is divided into 8 chapters
dealing with the new and exciting
field of gene therapy; it includes a
chapter on vectors harboring alfa-
protein regulatory sequences, con-
struction of adenovirus vectors, p53
plasmid preparation, tumor vaccines,
and immunoglobulin fusion proteins.
Part V contains a clinical protocol for
p53 gene therapy for liver tumors.
This book contains complete de-
scriptions of methods and provides
ample references. The language is
technical and clearly written.
This book should be of interest to
pathologists and clinical hepatolo-
gists, as well as basic scientists work-
ing in research of hepatic carcinogen-
esis, who will find this book a solid
contribution to their libraries.
GREGORIO CHEJFEC, MD
Maywood, Ill
Interpretation of
Diagnostic Tests
7th ed, by Jacques Wallach, 1026 pp, with
illus, Philadelphia, Pa, Lippincott Wil-
liams & Wilkins, 2000.
Interpretation of Diagnostic Tests,
now in its seventh edition, has be-
come a classic quick reference text for
clinical pathology. Not only is it
packed with clinical laboratory data,
it utilizes interpretative tables, in-
cluding symptomatology and clini-
copathologic correlative items. It is
intended for use by both clinicians
and pathologists for selection of ap-
propriate laboratory tests, as well as
for reviewing the diagnostic ap-
proach to a clinical problem.
The book is organized nicely with
2 chapters on normal laboratory val-
ues and critical values followed by
specific laboratory examination of
blood and urine with effects of dis-
eases on laboratory values. The re-
maining 15 chapters cover diseases of
each organ system. Each chapter con-
siders organ-specific diseases in al-
phabetical order and provides details
such as key diagnostic tests and as-
sociated laboratory and physical
findings. For example, in the chapter
on cardiovascular diseases, 6 pages
are spent discussing the diagnosis of
acute myocardial infarction, includ-
ing a diagnostic algorithm, a graph
of cardiac enzyme levels, and 3 tables
showing the specificity and sensitiv-
ity of each marker. The discussion is
highly detailed and seems to include
every nuance of clinical test interpre-
tation that could be voiced by the
most compulsive of cardiologists.
Similarly, the chapter on hematolog-
ical diseases consists of 166 pages,
beginning with laboratory tests, pro-
ceeding with a discussion of each
specific disease, and ending with co-
agulation tests and disorders. There
is a particularly good depiction of the
variants of acute myeloid leukemias
with associated prognostic factors.
Molecular gene rearrangements and
translocations are included with leu-
kemias and lymphomas.
This seventh edition differs from
the previous editions in that the top-
ics in each chapter are considered in
alphabetical order with an outline
format, rendering the text extremely
Books 709

user-friendly. Just about everything
pertinent to a disease or laboratory
test is on 1 or 2 pages. Key diagnostic
tests are labeled with a black dia-
mond for easy recognition. Very little
cross-referencing is needed to locate
essential data or ancillary tests for a
particular problem under consider-
ation. One would rarely need to go
beyond this text to answer daily clin-
ical laboratory conundrums or to
provide advice to clinicians. This
book purposely excludes quality im-
provement and clinical laboratory
management topics.
Dr Wallach admirably achieves his
goal in providing a clinical pathology
reference text that is thorough, suc-
cinct, and simple to use, and that does
not suffer from lack of clinical infor-
mation so critical for complete labo-
ratory consultation. The book will be
useful to ancillary health care person-
nel, including nurses and laboratory
technologists as well as physicians.
JOSEPH M. PYLE III, MD, PhD
Chicago, Ill
Liver Biopsy Evaluation:
Histologic Diagnosis and
Clinical Correlations
By Gary C. Kanel and Jacob Korula, 255
pp, with illus, Philadelphia, Pa, WB
Saunders, 2000.
This excellent book consists of 255
pages encompassing all aspects of
liver pathology. It is organized in an
extremely practical fashion.
The first chapter is an introduction
to the assessment of features visual-
ized in the microscopic examination
of liver biopsies and to their implica-
tions in clinicopathologic correlations.
The second chapter describes 35
different morphologic patterns, listed
alphabetically from abscess to veno-
occlusive disease. The color figures
are of good quality, and each pattern
is accompanied by a table describing
all etiologic entities in which the par-
ticular morphologic landmark is
found (eg, abscess formation in 26 dif-
ferent disease states and granulomas
in 30). A concise description of each
abnormality completes the chapter.
The third chapter consists of tables
correlating the histologic findings
710 Arch Pathol Lab Med—Vol 125, May 2001
Books
with clinical and laboratory parame-
ters; up-to-date references are pro-
vided for each table. The fourth chap-
ter describes in detail the morpholog-
ic patterns caused by drugs and toxic
substances. The fifth and final chap-
ter contains the references, which
number 1020.
The book is clearly written; the de-
scriptions are precise and carefully
referenced. The authors have done an
excellent job presenting all aspects of
liver disease that may be seen in liver
biopsies.
The book should be a standard ref-
erence for pathology residents, prac-
ticing pathologists, and clinical hep-
atologists. It is indeed a serious and
extremely valuable guide, which this
reviewer recommends very highly.
GREGORIO CHEJFEC, MD
Maywood, Ill
Pathology of Infectious
Diseases, Volume 1:
Helminthiases
Edited by Wayne M. Meyers, Ronald C.
Neadie, Aileen M. Marty, and Douglas J.
Wear, 530 pp, with illus, Washington, DC,
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 2000.
The Pathology of Infectious Diseases,
Volume 1: Helminthiases is the first in-
stallment of a new series that replaces
the older Pathology of Tropical and Ex-
traordinary Diseases. This is a beautiful
and informative reference book de-
scribing the helminths causing hu-
man and veterinary pathology. Edit-
ed by members of the Armed Forces
Institute of Pathology, the text is a
compendium of current knowledge.
There are 37 chapters with 530 pages
of information and excellent illustra-
tions of the helminths, ranging from
the uncommon acanthocephaliasis to
the more readily recognized schisto-
somiasis and cysticercosis.
Each helminth has its own chapter,
which is divided into an introduction
of the parasite, its synonyms, and a
historical perspective of how it was
originally described. Other sections
in the chapter describe the epidemi-
ology, morphology, clinical and path-
ologic features, diagnosis, and treat-
ment. Each organism is shown with
color photographs of its gross ap-
pearance as well as many histologic
sections revealing their unique struc-
tures using a variety of stains. No ex-
pense was spared in the production
of this text by limiting the number of
photomicrographs for each helminth.
All the figures in this text are 2 3 3
inches or larger, and all have superb
resolution and color. Leafing through
this text is like surveying an art book.
Black-and-white illustrations of life
cycles, electron micrographs, com-
puted axial tomographic scans, and
radiographs complete the clinical
presentation. Although different con-
tributors wrote each chapter, the or-
ganization of the chapters remains
the same, so that readers can easily
orient themselves to find the infor-
mation they seek. Another strength is
the comparison of each helminth to
other similar organisms. The elabo-
ration of key features to distinguish
the organism under discussion from
‘‘look-a-likes’’ is invaluable.
A collection of tables that guide the
reader through the classification of
parasitic helminths, the specific mor-
phologic structures useful in their
identification, and the size and tissue
location of each class of helminth pre-
cedes the body of the text. The or-
ganization of this vast amount of in-
formation into concise comparative
tables will be very useful for pathol-
ogy residents, microbiologists, and
infectious disease fellows learning
the complexity of parasitology. At the
conclusion of the book there is an ex-
tensive 30-page index listing each or-
ganism by name, country where it
may be found, clinical features, and
treatment. The index is organized
clearly and will be well used by those
who have this book. For many read-
ers this book will be too detailed to
read cover to cover; it will be utilized
as a definitive resource for learning
more about a specific parasite.
This text is one that will please the
experienced pathologist and parasitol-
ogist, as well as being a comprehen-
sive starting point for those entering
the field. It is a must for libraries to
add to their collection. Many scientists
will want it for their personal library
to access the incredible pictures for
teaching and reference. Those who
have volume 1 of this new series will
be eagerly awaiting the publication of
future works from this knowledgeable
group of authors.
ROBERTA B. CAREY, PhD
Maywood, Ill
Books