Media Type: Textbook (Hardcover)

Synopsis: Diabetic Retinopathy, the most common cause of blindness in the young adult population in the United States, truly deserves its own comprehensive textbook—and that is what David J. Browning has accomplished. Browning has surrounded himself with an all-star cast of contributors. Ranging from informing readers who first described the retina around 300 BC, to a thorough review of the landmark diabetic retinopathy investigations, to defining the terminology of diabetic retinopathy genetics 101, the reader can find everything in this all encompassing textbook. While not the best choice for a bedtime story for the kids, it is a must for any ophthalmology library or retinal physician’s personal study.

Target Audience: General ophthalmologists/retinal specialists

Review: Dr. David J. Browning has surrounded himself with an all-star cast for his book entitled, Diabetic Retinopathy: Evidence–Based Management . He starts slow, with the pathophysiology, genetics, and epidemiology of diabetic retinopathy. This is the foundation upon which he builds the more clinical subjects of systemic and ocular factors influencing diabetic retinopathy, defining severity of diabetic retinopathy, and the diagnostic techniques that are utilized in practice. He then delves into the meat of the subject with the clinical entities of diabetic macular edema, ischemic maculopathy, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. He supplements these topics with chapters on how diabetes affects the cornea, lens, and optic nerve. Special chapters revolve around the effects of cataract surgery on diabetic retinopathy, and ethical contemporary dilemmas with present day treatment of diabetic retinopathy. He concludes with the last chapter which is a compilation of all the prior chapters in 14 teaching vignettes. This is a thorough discussion of clinical examples of diabetic retinopathy with the diagnosis and treatment of 14 clinical case studies.

This book is a product of opinions of all the contributors mixed with a wide spectrum of evidence provided by the multitude of publications on diabetic retinopathy. It provides an introduction to the student, resident, or fellow and a wonderful review for the retinal specialist. The organization of each chapter is uniform, with the subject matter presented in an orderly fashion. Throughout each chapter there are boxed-in areas to provide a more in-depth discussion of a subject or present a controversial side of the subject. At the end of each chapter is a summary of the key points and a future directions section. This simplifies the complexity of each chapter and points the reader in the right direction for future research and development.

Criticisms, while minor, need to be addressed. With all multi-contributor texts come the inherent flaws of multiple biases and varied writing styles. There is redundancy throughout the text, with rare differences of opinion expressed.

In summary, Browning has succeeded in publishing a textbook on diabetic retinopathy that will be an invaluable resource for all ophthalmologists and retinal specialists. From the basic sciences to the clinical applications, all aspects of diabetic retinopathy are thoroughly addressed. The authors are to be congratulated on a job well done.