Diagnostic Pathology of Infectious Disease, 2nd Edition

By Richard L. Kradin

ISBN: 978-0-323-44585-6

Pub Date: 6/20/2017

Reviewed by: Sarah L P Rooney, BA, MD (University of Michigan Medical School)

Description

This second edition of an up-to-date, practical guide to the pathology of infectious disease covers the morphology of organisms and host response to infection with additional commentary on ancillary diagnostic modalities, complete with curated images, excellent tables, and well-organized text. The previous edition was published in 2010.

Purpose

The aim is to provide a practical reference to help pathologists recognize patterns of disease including organism morphology and host response to infection. It has up-to-date information and is well organized with easy-to-read tables, supplemented by numerous images.

Audience

It is intended for general pathologists and trainees, but is also relevant for subspecialists, as it covers all tissues and body systems. Microbiologists also would find this to be an excellent resource to correlate laboratory findings with in vivo disease processes. Infectious disease physicians and surgeons also may find it useful. It is written predominantly by the expert faculty at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Features

The book flows from the general approach to diagnosing infection with specifics on biopsy, cytology, and electron microscopy. It then addresses new technologies and ancillary techniques to supplement histology. Finally, the book systematically covers infections of organs in 15 detailed chapters. Each chapter begins with a concise outline and focuses on infectious disease as it presents in surgical pathology, with an emphasis on the nuances and pearls from the experience of the expert authors. Each chapter also contains useful tables and numerous photographs that would rival any atlas. Updates since the last edition include infections of the orbit and novel techniques developed in microbiology to confirm and speciate infections.

Assessment

This edition is updated to account for new technologies and additional content including a new chapter on orbital infections. Like the first edition, this is not a compendium of overwhelming information. Instead it is a curated book with up-to-date and practical information – which is its greatest strength. The curators are experts in their fields and their chapters reflect their wealth of knowledge and experience, providing readers with tools and insight they can apply to their own practices. This is an excellent resource for any pathologist who wants to brush up on infectious histopathology or to have scope-side for expert consultation. Microbiologists will love the clinical correlate to the microorganisms with which they’re so familiar. Users of the first edition will be pleased with the update and pathologists looking for a new reference for infectious histopathology can stop here!

Doody’s Review Service Weighted Numerical Score: 96 – 4 Stars!