Encyclopedia of Pathology Series: Endocrine Pathology by Stefano La Rosa and Silvia Uccella

Excerpt

Endocrine Pathology [1] by Stefano La Rosa and Silvia Uccella is the extension of Springer’s Encyclopedia of Pathology series, which is an encyclopedic volume of 852 pages organized into 292 entries covering various aspects of endocrine pathology. This stellar work is intended for practicing pathologists, pathology residents, clinicians, researchers, and medical students who seek updated and user-friendly explanations of the key concepts of endocrine disorders (Fig. 1). The volume is the result of the meticulous effort of 45 internationally recognized experts who aimed to provide basic and practical definitions of endocrine diseases. The book is part of the “Encyclopedia of Pathology,” a series published by Springer that aims to cover 15–20 volumes of the entire field of pathology comprehensively, even including a volume entirely dedicated to the personalities who shaped modern pathology. Following the footsteps of the other volumes in the series, this book systematically covers the complete field of endocrine pathology in alphabetical order, from pathologic entities and clinical syndromes to radiologic and nuclear medicine imaging techniques, to anatomo-histologic and molecular biology topics. The 150 entries dealing with pathological entities (neoplastic and nonneoplastic) and clinical syndromes present a schematic and extremely straightforward arrangement consisting of the definition and possible synonyms, clinical features (including, incidence, etiology, pathogenesis, anatomical site, clinical presentation, management, and outcome), diagnostic or classification criteria, macroscopic aspects, microscopic features, immunophenotype, molecular alterations, and potential differential diagnoses. The 103 entries focusing on molecular biology topics (genes, transcription factors, membrane molecules, hormones, and receptors) and histological patterns (i.e., “Azzopardi Phenomenon” and “Zellballen”) report definition and possible synonyms, description of key biological features (including physiopathology, mechanism of action, and biological functions), and diagnostic-therapeutic applications. The 22 entries addressing radiologic and nuclear medicine imaging techniques, histo-pathologic staining and methods, and histo-pathologic classification systems present a streamlined structure that includes definition and possible synonyms, description of functional principles, methodology of implementation, quality aspects, and practical applications. Finally, the 17 entries covering topics in human anatomy and histology comprehensively describe anatomy and possible synonyms, biological functions, macroscopic features, microscopic anatomy and ultrastructure, immunophenotype, and immunohistochemistry. This systematic approach to endocrine pathology is further complemented by a collection of 437 histologic (both light and electron microscopy), radiologic, and nuclear medicine illustrations and by 137 summary tables that schematically collect key points or examples. Importantly, the presence of detailed captions accompanying the images can help pathology residents to focus on the peculiar histologic features of most of the pathologic conditions discussed. Furthermore, the A–Z format together with the presence of an internal cross-references system allows readers to locate the information easily and quickly and help them to integrate information provided by different entries converging on a specific argument. In particular, I consider the sections devoted to familial syndromes to be of utmost value to diagnosticians. Moreover, given the increasing role of molecular biology in clinical medicine, I greatly appreciated the extensive emphasis given by the authors to the description of molecular alterations in neoplastic diseases and to the discussion of practical applications of a large number of molecular markers, a feature that highlights, once again, the traversal nature of this volume, which can be used with considerable benefit by professionals pertaining to different medical specialties. Overall, the broad spectrum of endocrinologic pathologies described as well as the comprehensive discussion of the differential diagnoses makes this encyclopedia a landmark textbook for those who deal with endocrine diseases in their daily practice. I recommend to always keep a copy on the desk or the digital version in the personal computer.

…