Media type: Textbook (Hardcover, Reference) with DVD-ROM

Synopsis: Much has evolved in the field of ophthalmic pathology in the last 33 years since the first edition of Ocular Pathology by Dr. Myron Yanoff and the late Dr. Ben Fine was first published. The 6 ^th edition, now with the fortunate addition of Dr. Joseph Sassani, successfully incorporates new advances in different fields in ophthalmology and ocular pathology to the already comprehensive textbook. The companion DVD contains 7 virtual slides and all the figures in the book which are downloadable as JPEG or power point presentations.

Target Audience: Ophthalmology residents, medical students, ophthalmologists, ophthalmic pathologists.

Review: Dr. Myron Yanoff, Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, has more than 30 years of productive academic life as ophthalmologist and ocular pathologist since he first trained at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology under Dr. Lorenz Zimmerman. The new co-author in this sixth edition of Ocular Pathology is Dr. Joseph William Sassani, Professor of Ophthalmology and Pathology, Director of the Ocular Pathology laboratory and Chief of the VA Hospital, at Pennsylvania State University, Hershey. Dr. Sassani trained with Dr. Yanoff and has contributed to the field of ocular pathology since then. He also adds to the book with his clinical experience especially in glaucoma.

The book is organized in 18 chapters and has an accompanying DVD. This is a comprehensive book with to-the-point clinico-pathologic correlations and current concepts in ocular pathology. The concise tables and outlines for the most important ideas in each chapter are an asset for the reader. New information that has exploded recently in the fields of molecular pathology, immunohistochemistry and immunology, genetics, and imaging techniques has successfully been incorporated to the previous edition. The authors have also added many entities, among others: autoimmune polyendocrinopathy candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy, endothelial dystrophy, iris hypoplasia, congenital cataract, and stromal thinning (EDICT) syndrome; Maffuci’s syndrome; the TNM (tumor, node, metastasis) classification; and complications of LASIK surgery. They have also made very successful updates to some of the existing topics such as genetics of persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous, pathobiology of Norrie’s disease, immunopathology of Herpes keratitis, genetics of corneal dystrophies, anatomy of the conjunctiva, pathobiology of vernal keratoconjunctivitis and graft versus host disease. Topics of glaucoma (surgery, syndromes associated with congenital glaucoma, pathobiology of some secondary glaucomas and new clinical syndromes associated with angle-closure glaucoma) and diabetes mellitus (pathobiology, international clinical classification of diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema severity scales, and the role of VEGF) have been especially revised.

The accomplishment of this book rests in its concise presentation, great illustrations (1900 in all), helpful tables and outlines and the very useful DVD. The illustrations include clinical pictures, imaging studies such as ocular coherence tomography and ultrasound biomicroscopy side-by-side with gross and histopathologic photographs. In many instances, scanning electron micrographs correlate perfectly with the clinical and gross photographs. For those teaching or presenting tumor boards or clinico-pathologic correlation cases the DVD is a great addition to the book. The DVD has all the illustrations in the book which are downloadable to be incorporated in power point presentations or other formats. It also contains 7 digital glass slides of relevant entities that can be reviewed using downloadable software.

In summary, the Ocular Pathology, 6 ^th edition book more than fills the needs of ophthalmologists, ophthalmology residents and medical students interested in the study of ocular pathology. For those already in the field of ophthalmic pathology the tables, outlines and especially the illustrations and the virtual slides in the DVD are very welcomed aids for review and teaching.