Weedon’s Skin Pathology, 6th Edition

By James W. Patterson, MD, FACP, FAAD

ISBN: 9780323935500

Publication Date: November 21, 2024

Reviewer: Katharina Wiedemeyer, MD (University of Michigan Medical School) 

Description

This book is a comprehensive and extensively illustrated reference that provides current and authoritative information on dermatopathology. The previous edition was published in 2020. 

Purpose

This book provides detailed and comprehensive knowledge on all aspects of skin pathology including disease etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, histopathology, and differential diagnosis.

Audience

This edition is an essential resource for dermatopathologists, general pathologists, and trainees due to its breadth of both clinical and histopathological content, making it an invaluable asset for everyone handling skin biopsies and excisions.

Features

The book comprises seven main sections: introduction, tissue reaction patterns, epidermis, dermis and subcutis, skin in systemic diseases, infections, and tumors. All sections contain multiple chapters, e.g., the section ‘dermis and subcutis’ endorses disorders of collagen and elastic tissue, cutaneous mucinoses and deposits, diseases of the appendages, cysts, and panniculitis. The references for each chapter are online. There are about 2,000 high-quality histologic images and illustrated schemes with instructive figure legends throughout the book. The index at the end of the book is thorough and easy to use and includes still more historic terms that have been replaced by new nomenclature over the years, making it convenient for experienced dermatopathologists to follow the current updates on the disease entities. The entire contents of the book are available online, allowing for easy browsing, annotation, or reading aloud options.

Assessment

This book has improved compared to its previous edition and provides all essential and expert knowledge on skin pathology, inflammatory and neoplastic, in one single resource. The introduction section nicely summarizes all relevant and major updates of the sixth edition compared to the fifth edition. It is ideal for daily use as a reference but also an excellent training resource. Key highlights of this book are the detailed descriptions and over 1,800 microphotographic illustrations that highlight various histologic features to diagnose each disease entity correctly. This edition contains numerous tables and new figures for quick reference of diagnostic clues, immunohistochemical phenotypes, differential diagnoses, and pitfalls. It informs about novel molecular techniques and developments to address recently described new entities and targeted therapies. The book points out important articles but also rare reports on unusual skin disease presentations with a current and relevant reference list for each entity.

©Doody’s Review Service, 2025, Katharina Wiedemeyer, MD (University of Michigan Medical School), Doody’s Score: 99 – 5 Stars!

Purchase your copy of Weedon’s Skin Pathology, 6th Edition here!