Media Type: Textbook, with searchable full text online

Synopsis : Orbital anatomy has long been the bane of existence for eye surgeons, because of the difficulty in visualizing and conceptualizing its three dimensions. Yet a thorough understanding for orbital anatomy is critical for anyone who treats orbital disease. Atlas of Clinical and Surgical Orbital Anatomy succeeds in making this difficult subject approachable and memorable. The textbook is so practical, it might as well have been titled “Orbital Anatomy Made Ridiculously Simple” or “Orbital Anatomy For Dummies.” This second edition includes new clinical correlations and research findings, and is as useful for the fully trained oculoplastic surgeon as for the novice.

Target Audience: Students and clinicians who treat orbital and eyelid disease

Review: Dr. Jonathan Dutton is considered to be an expert in the field of oculoplastic surgery, with special interests in orbital surgery, thyroid eye disease, and ophthalmic oncology. He is an active member of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgeons and currently serves as the Editor-in Chief for Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. The textbook is intended for any resident or practicing physician who treats diseases of the eyelids and orbit, spanning ophthalmology, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, dermatology and otolaryngology.

Orbital anatomy has long been considered one of the most difficult subjects to master in ophthalmology. The premise of the textbook was to create a visual atlas that combines the best features of orbital cadaver dissections with artistic renderings, in order to create images that are understandable and memorable. Dr. Dutton absolutely accomplishes this. Compared to the images that are found in standard anatomy textbooks, his illustrations are minimalistic and striking. The textbook is divided into 11 chapters, each of which attends to a separate anatomic system, such as bones, arteries, and nerves. Within each chapter, the relevant embryology, adult anatomy, and clinical correlations are discussed. The text is followed by a series of layered color images, beginning with the system of interest in isolation, and adding other systems step-wise to demonstrate the anatomic relationships. The result is a meaningful sequence of images that allows readers to conceptualize the orbit in three dimensions.

Highlights of the book include the new clinical correlations, which link the anatomy to orbital and neuro-ophthalmic disease. Additional chapters on histology and radiology are also exceptionally useful, helping clinicians to relate a structure with its appearance on surgical pathology, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging. A chapter on aging is invaluable for the aesthetic and reconstructive surgeon to understand the changes in bone and soft tissue that occur over time. It is this practical and clinical focus that sets the textbook apart from other atlases within the field .

The book’s selling points are also its main drawbacks. The text includes no references to the images, for the images are designed to be self-explanatory and to function independent of the text. Readers who are primarily interested in a visual atlas will enjoy the unencumbered pretty pictures. But for the clinicians who intend to delve more deeply, it is an effort to link the text discussions with the images that follow, and more cross talk would be appreciated. However, this is a minor drawback that will deter few, if any, readers.

In summary, the Atlas of Clinical and Surgical Orbital Anatomy promises to be an indispensable resource for orbital surgeons and trainees in all stages of practice.