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Book Review

European Journal of Dermatology. Volume 15, Number 5, September-October 2005, Book Review

Author(s) : Jean Kanitakis, Hôpital Edouard Herriot 5 Place de l’Arsonval 69437 Lyon, France <kanitakis@lyon.inserm.fr>.

ARTICLE

Auteur(s) : Jean Kanitakis

Practical Dermatopathology Ronald P. Rapini (ISBN 0‐3230‐1198‐5), Elsevier Mosby, March 2005, 395 pages, 134 €.

This book is an overhaul of a book co‐authored previously (1988) by R. Rapini under the title “Atlas of Dermatopathology”. It is provided with a multimedia CD‐ROM containing all the illustrations contained in the book, allowing the reader to find them either alphabetically or by chapter. The book is divided in 30 chapters, spanning all classes of skin diseases, mostly classified according to their aetiology and occasionally according to their clinical appearance. The first chapter is an extensive, alphabetical list of the pathological changes that can be observed in the skin, and of the diseases where these pathological findings can be observed, often with reference to particular clinical findings such as topography or aspect of the lesions. The following 28 chapters contain a description of the pathological features of each disease and its possible variations ; this is preceded by a short description of the clinical features of the disease, and followed by a list of entities entering the differential diagnosis. Several cross‐references in the text redirect the reader to relevant parts in the book, helping the reader to locate information quickly. There are 706 full colour illustrations mostly of routinely‐stained sections taken at various magnifications, with a few pictures of special stains and rare immunohistochemical ones. They all contain leader lines pointing out the most important findings. The photomicrographs are of good quality in the printed version of the book, and show even better in the CD‐ROM (by virtue of a larger size). Chapter 30 is a useful glossary of special (including immunohistochemical) stains. The last parts of the book contain a bibliography section with selected references serving as further reading and a detailed alphabetical index.

In carrying out the reviewing of a book, one inevitably tries to find pitfalls and drawbacks. In the case of this book, this was a difficult task since I found only few and minor points to criticize. Figure 5.4 C is a higher magnification of fig. 5.4 B depicting pemphigus vegetans (and not foliaceus, as stated in the legend). Figure 7.1 B is not a high magnification, as stated in the legend. In the diagnosis of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (p. 313) the most specific and useful marker (CD207\langerin) is not mentioned. Some photomicrographs with immunohistochemical stainings (eg 24.8 D & E) are not as good as the routine stains.

These minor points do not cast a significant shadow over the quality of the book. Overall this is a user‐friendly, concise yet complete dermatopathology textbook describing a surprisingly large number of dermatoses, considering its rather small format. The quantity of information it provides is considerable, both in the form of text and of photomicrographs. This book should be useful not only to beginners in dermatopathology but also to dermatologists and experienced (dermato)pathologists. The reasonable price is an additional advantage that will certainly contribute to the wide diffusion of this book.

Reviewer Jean Kanitakis
Hôpital Edouard Herriot 5 Place de l’Arsonval 69437 Lyon, France <kanitakis@lyon.inserm.fr>