Leonard, DGB (ed):

Diagnostic Molecular Pathology 189 pp, Philadelphia, Saunders, Elsevier, 2003 ($74.95).

Titled Diagnostic Molecular Pathology, Volume 41 of the Saunders Series Major Problems in Pathology is edited by Debra GB Leonard, MD, PhD, Director of the Molecular Pathology Laboratory of the University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine. She deserves kudos for assembling an introductory text in a field moving so fast that a great deal of the content is out of date before the type has been set. Chapters 2, 3, and 9 cover the basic principles and techniques for the most common laboratory applications. These chapters are well illustrated, and the figures are clear and informative. Sections 4–6 cover specific tumor categories, whereas Chapters 7 and 8 address infectious diseases and the broad topic of genetics. Missing are specific sections on proteomics, immunologic/collagen vascular disorders, the central nervous system, or systemic medical conditions, such as familial renal diseases. The point of this series, however, is to address timely topics in a concise and informative manner. The intention is not to publish the definitive text. Given these parameters, the editor and contributors have met their goals.