Crowson A N Magro C M MC Mihm Jr.:

The Melanocytic Proliferations. A Comprehensive Textbook of Pigmented Lesions, 560 pp, New York, Wiley-Liss, 2001 ($299.00).

The diagnosis of melanocytic neoplasms is one of the most difficult and controversial areas in dermatopathology. In recent years several books have been published on the subject, but only a few of them have made any significant contribution toward easing this task for the practicing pathologist and dermatopathologist.

The book written by Crowson, Magro, and Mihm is presented as a comprehensive review of pigmented lesions of the skin, encompassing the biology, diagnosis, and treatment of different melanocytic proliferations.

The book has a nice presentation and is well written and entertaining. It is fully illustrated with color photographs, which is a must. Most of the photographic material is of a very good quality; however, there are a few pictures that need improvement.

The book is divided into 15 chapters that cover all pigmented lesions of the skin, from freckles and lentigines to the different types of nevi and malignant melanoma. Most of the chapters contain relevant clinical and therapeutic information. Some of the chapters also include nonmelanocytic lesions in the differential diagnosis, with a reasonably good discussion. There are separate chapters devoted to immunohistochemistry, molecular and ultrastructural studies, and the biology of melanoma.

One of the drawbacks of this book is the splitting, categorizing, and subcategorizing of many lesions. This causes confusion, especially for the neophyte.

The book is uneven. For example, the Spitz's nevus chapter is an excellent and in-depth review of the subject. On the other hand, the chapter on dysplastic nevus is rather lengthy and does not simplify the issue; on the contrary, it creates more confusion. The discussion of melanoma also could be simplified. Obviously the authors have reviewed all the relevant literature about the subject, but not all of what has been written on melanomas is accurate or useful.

Despite the problems noted in this book, it will be a valuable reference for pathologists, dermatopathologists, and dermatologists.