Media Type: Reference

Synopsis: Agarwal and Jacob have attempted to provide ophthalmologists-in-training with a comprehensive, quick reference manual for the diagnosis and treatment of a full range of ophthalmic disorders. Its 19 chapters cover all areas of clinical ophthalmology in one concise, easy-to-read, pocket manual. Although space for each clinical entity is necessarily limited, the summaries are surprisingly complete. This manual should be very helpful to the ophthalmologist-in-training. Furthermore, this text should also be helpful for ancillary personnel. Emergency room physicians, ophthalmic nurses, and technicians will find this color atlas informative and an excellent springboard to more in-depth material as needed.

Target Audience: Ophthalmologists

Review: This atlas is a comprehensive overview of clinical ophthalmology. Its stated purpose is to provide a quick reference manual for the diagnosis and treatment of a full range of ophthalmic disorders. Nineteen chapters cover all areas of ophthalmology – a concise digest of the basic science course in one handy pocket manual. Although space for each clinical entity is obviously limited, the summaries are surprisingly complete. For the ophthalmologist-in-training, this color atlas should be a very useful primary source of information.

In the age of telemedicine, textbooks have difficulty competing with continuously updated Internet material. However, as a starting point in the differential diagnosis, it would be difficult to find a more comprehensive source than this.

Furthermore, this text could be very helpful for ancillary personnel. Ophthalmic nurses and technicians will be pleased by its ease of use. The photographic editing is excellent, and the graphs, diagrams, and clinical photos are crystal-clear, for both resolution and intent. Most aspiring clinicians will be inspired to delve deeper into the pathophysiology and treatment of each disease process after having their appetite whetted by these concise summaries. This reference should also be an excellent resource guide for emergency room physicians.

In summary, if someone wants a brief synopsis of just about any clinical entity, they will probably be pleased with the information provided in this overview of ophthalmology. For those clinicians unfamiliar with the breadth of ophthalmology, this is an excellent starting point for differential diagnosis and treatment, and should be able to help point the clinician in the right direction to more comprehensive resources if necessary. The authors should be commended for their concise clinical descriptions and outstanding photography.