Dermatology Books

As a reference book, I have used to often in the short time I've had it. I learned from Chinese teachers, so am comfortable with the layout and instruction. Clinically, it's a good reference book.

If you are having trouble with a skin disorder and think TCM can help then this is a valuable reference guide. Although, I am not a practioner of chinese medicine, this book is short and concise. It lists the conditions and how TCM would treat them.

The editors and authors do a very nice job of "how to" instruction. This would be a nice text for residents during their Mohs rotation or fellowship. I know of no other text that is as complete with practical knowledge on the subject of Mohs micrographic surgery.
A wonderful cookbook with useful templates. A must for Dermatologic surgeons, plastic surgeons, or pathologists who practice the Mohs technique for skin cancer removal.

Gross, Steinman, and Rapini have written the first Mohs surgery textbook for the ASMS crowd (American Society of Mohs Surgery) -it seems that most, if not all, of the contributors are of the non-fellowship-trained variety. Unlike Dr. Mohs' or Dr. Mikhail's textbooks, it focuses less on actual outcomes of treatment for different diagnoses than it does on practical aspects of a Mohs practice. It covers needed equipment to reimbursement issues to training a Mohs lab technician. The chapters are short (some at 2 pages) and the text is not dense. Its treatment of individual tumors is very cursory. A better text for pertinent discussion of cutaneous tumors encountered in a Mohs practice is Mary Maloney's Surgical Dermatopathology.

Where this book really shines is its discussion of the nuts and bolts of running a Mohs laboratory. Chapter 11 "Cryostat and Cryostat Technique: Obtaining Quality Mohs Slides" shows several different techniques of freezing and mounting specimens (including the glass slide technique which is the best) in several pages of photographs. Chapter 12 "Mohs Slides: Trouble Shooting and Quality Assurance" has a nifty table of slide problems and probable sources of trouble. In addition, photographs document actual cutting of tissue on the cryostat blade and show common errors. Another excellent photo series shows mounted tissue on slides (thin vs. thick sections, venetian blind appearance of tissue due to dirty and poorly lubricated microtome, etc). Dr. Rapini has also included a chapter on normal cutaneous histology with excellent pictures.
In summary, the laboratory and pathology sections of the book are worth reading for Mohs fellows and technicians. The rest of the material is better addressed elsewhere.

It tells you how to make the operations, some physiology about skin cancer and a lot of pictures but there is no explanation on pictures that would clarify why exactly that picture classifies as certain type of skin cancer. You have to make your own theory.
I wished author put two comparable pictures together and mahe differential diagnosis side by side.

Outstanding material, concise and to the point, a wealth of knowledge. very helpful for primary care doctors and well as all other specialties in providing a fairly in-depth review of the different types of skin cancer and their management.

This book provides an excellent description of the anatomy, pathophysiology and in-office management of varicose veins. The authors explore the original seminal work by Dr. Robert Muller that has revolutionized the minimally invasive removal of varicose veins and apply their own renditions of those techniques.

The authors explain the anatomy of venous disease, and point out the most common patterns of varicose veins based on their voluminous experience. The use of non-invasive diagnostic techniques is explored, but only briefly. There is an excellent discussion of the use of local infiltrative anesthesia that allows for these procedures to be done in the office setting. Both standard infiltration and tumescent anesthesia techniques are detailed. Recommendations for allowable dosages of topical agents are made and validated with their large clinical experiences.

Only after a thorough discussion of the anatomical basis of the disease and the means of diagnosing the problem do the authors actually begin delving into their techniques of ambulatory phlebectomy in Chapter 9. As opposed to the use of large incisions, previously the standard of most vein specialists, they show how the removal of significant varicose veins can easily be routinely accomplished through incisions as small as 1 mm with minimal, if any, discomfort to the patient. Finally, the postoperative care, emphasizing the importance of a properly placed dressing, is well described. A thorough discussion of potential complications and management is also helpful. An informative CD-ROM disc accompanies the text.

My only criticism of this book has to do with the illustrations and photographs. I found the illustrations to be somewhat confusing, thus inadequate. There is also a significant loss of depth perception in the black and white photographs of the limbs with varicose veins and the procedures being performed. The color-flow duplex images in black and white were difficult to analyze, making some of them almost useless as well.

In summary, "Ambulatory Phlebectomy" is an excellent book for the phlebologist or surgeon wishing to establish or refine the technique of varicose vein removal in the office setting. I highly recommend it.

Michael A. Zatina, M.D.
Maryland Vein Treatment Center

The power of the written word to convey emotional intensity in a pleasing visual form, particularly when dealing with sacred subject matter, has been a constant them in Islamic culture. The demanding discipline of Islamic calligraphy, transmitted from master to pupil throughout the ages, has been the source of one of the humanity's richest artistic traditions. The Nasser D Khalili Collection holds examples of the Islamic calligraphy that span six centuries and demonstrate the continuity of this central art form into the modern era. The holdings - nearly 300 in total - include exceptional items that feature the work of many of the most famous master calligraphers: Yaqut, Seyh Hamdullah, Hafiz Osman, Mahmud Calaluddin, Mehmed Rasim and Yusuf 'Hafiz al-Qur'an'. This book is intended for islamicists, collectors and curators of Islamic art, specialist art trade, some students, and general readers. With a contribution by: Zakariya, Mohamed;

This atlas is an excellent quick, well ilustrated referenece guide to the diagnosis and classification of dermatologic diseases, providing guidence for pathologist in training and for general pathologists in practice.

This Dermatopathology Atlas is part of W.B. Sauders Company outstanding pathology Atlas series, that resulted more than 10 atlases up to date reviewing selected, popular pathology topics. This Dermatopathology Atlas is organized by disease entities and by anatomic or by morphologic features, that may be important in narrowing the differential diagnoses in dermatopathology cases.

The book reviews the histopathology and clinicopathology of inflammatory and malignant skin diseases with emphasis on a concise morphologic description. Many immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry images enrich the text in addition to the high and low magnification full color illustrations, that reflect rich hematoxillin and eosin colors. Although, this atlas was published in 1996, the content and format is up to date and remains an important refrence guide in dermatopathology, till new edition becomes avilable.

Great overview of hair pathology which is sorely misrepresented in most dermatopathology texts. Unfortunately many of the histology images are completely out of focus and of poor quality. Text though is excellent and probably worth being in the libary of any dermatopathologist.

I read the original 2005 paperback. This thin book of less than 140 regular text pages and 11 unusual black and white pictures of naked and semi-naked people from around the world offers a pleasurably relaxing reading. Which can't be taken for granted in philosophy books, including some of Alphonso Lingis' earlier works.

"Body Transformations" circles around the human body, touching upon sexual selection, body illusions, body initiation and detachments, apotemnophilia (the fetish of voluntary limb amputation) and pig organs for human transplantation. Lingis wonders about portrait paintings leaving out body parts, male anglerfish growing onto females, losing their eyesight in the process and about the women who offered money to receive the sperm of the 5,300-year-old Italian glacier mummy Ötzi.

Lingis goes private and global. He writes in the first person singular, however, I am not sure, when, if ever, this "I"-form really matches his personal reality. He seems to project his thoughts onto the realities of whomever he is musing about. Including the many references and quotes of philosophers and similar thinkers, such as Heidegger, Kant, Nietzsche, Marx and most of all Freud. It doesn't always become clear, wether he really agrees with the direct quotes and carried forward thought processes as if by these famous thinkers. The reader may sure get the impression. And some of those statements are blatantly ridiculous. Such as on referencing Immanuel Kant: "In fact, Africa could not properly be said to have religion: it only had belief in magic." This is about (the original meaning of) fetishism and clearly not overstood. Besides the fetishism of some parts of Africa and other African branches of religion, I may add that all so-called world religions are derived from ancient Egypt. Read for example The Africans Who Wrote the Bible and the books by Muata Ashby, such as egypt and india the african origins of yoga, hinduism, vedanta, buddhism and dharma of india and The Mystical Journey from Jesus to Christ. Also consider that in Ethiopia Judaism, Christianity and Islam were freely engaged in earlier than in the very most other parts of the world. Sigmund Freud has become an even worse choice to quote ideas from. He was an important step in psychoanalysis. In the meantime his reputation of authority far exceeds more recent expertise. I find it strange that Lingis didn't find it funny to write in 2005 in reference to Freud that "Some people, traumatized by the sight of female castration, [i.e. not featuring a penis] become homosexual." The most strange part is that I don't think that Lingis is particularly homophobic as he seems to integrate a lot of homoerotic imagery and content in many of his books, including a bit in this book.

But then again, not to leave a false impression, generally Lingis isn't what I would describe as conservative. In fact, more statements will be disliked by conservatives than other readers. Such as this gem: "Soldiers are limbs connected to weapons and disconnected from brain and imagination."

The pictures are very good,plus there is clincal info and treatment. But, no patho.

Comprehensive and easy to understand description of key facts regarding leg wounds. Would be better if there were an updated version.