Media Type : Textbook

Synopsis: Recognizing signs and symptoms of anterior segment disorders is essential in making accurate diagnosis and rendering appropriate treatment. The Color Atlas & Synopsis of Clinical Ophthalmology provides a comprehensive review of over 150 clinical entities involving conjunctiva, cornea, sclera, and iris. Each condition is succinctly summarized including etiology, symptoms, signs, diagnostic evaluation, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Clinical photographs accompany each entity. Traumatic injuries as well as surgical complications are also included. This second edition builds on the success of the first edition, but expands to include new management options as well as new surgical techniques and complications.

Target Audience : practicing ophthalmologist, ophthalmology fellows and residents

Review : Dr Rapuano is a world renowned leader in cornea and external disease. He had assembled in this book a comprehensive list of anterior segment disease from extensive experience of one of the premier ophthalmic hospital in the world, the Wills Eye Hospital. This book is intended for the practicing ophthalmologist as well as for ophthalmology residents and fellows.

The book is divided into 11 chapters. It covers developmental anomaly, systemic manifestation, infectious, inflammatory, degenerative, neoplastic, and dystrophic disease/conditions involving cornea, conjunctiva, scleral, and iris. The book is primarily divided by anatomical location. For each anatomical location, it is subdivided by disease processes. Traumatic conditions, surgery, and complications are also included. For example, complications from newer surgical technique from Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK) and descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) are included in this edition.

This book is in the format of color atlas with clinical synopsis. Each disease/entity is succinctly summarized including etiology, symptoms, signs, diagnostic evaluation, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Representative clinical photos accompany each disease/entity. Both photographs and print media are of high quality. The book has a great feel and can be easily carried on the go. The information in this book serves as an excellent clinical reference for practicing ophthalmologists as well as ophthalmologists in training.

In addition to book format, this title also provides free online access to the entire book. In the e book, you can easily search relevant entry by key word. The e book also enables easy access to the content of the book by mobile devices in addition to fixed computer terminal. This could potentially expand the knowledge and delivery of care to remote and isolated areas around the world. This book is a “must have” for ophthalmology residents and fellows.

Criticisms of this book are few and minor. No single institution can provide a complete list with photos of all diseases in this category. Maybe in the future, there will be a forum for cases around the world to be compiled together.

In summary, the “Color Atlas & Synopsis of Clinical Ophthalmology, Cornea second edition” is an excellent reference book for practicing ophthalmologists and ophthalmologists in training in diagnosing and treating anterior segment disorders.