Fu Y-S Wenig B M Abemayor E Wenig B L:

Head and Neck Pathology with Clinical Correlation 770 pp, Kent United Kingdom, Churchill Livingstone, 2001 ($322.00).

This text is well illustrated with numerous clinical photographs as well as both black and white and color photomicrographs. It covers almost every condition that occurs in the head and neck region with the exception of cervical lymphoid lesions. The text is site-specific, including lesions of the sinonasal area and ear to oral, nasopharyngeal, salivary gland, laryngeal, thyroid, and neck diseases.

The uniqueness of this text is the collaborative effect of pathologists with expertise in the head and neck region and clinicians with surgical excellence in otolaryngology. This combination of expertise results in an excellent resource for medical students, pathologists, otolaryngologists, and others diagnosing or treating diseases of the head and neck region.

Each chapter typically includes a section on clinical consideration and pathology. The clinical portion discusses diagnosis and treatment, often including suggested imaging, surgical techniques, and alternative therapy. The pathology section includes gross and microscopic pathology, including immunohistochemical techniques and differential diagnoses. Although photomicrographs are generally excellent and helpful in making a diagnosis, they are not a substitute for more detailed surgical pathology texts, atlases, and fasicles. The same would be true for detailed information on surgical techniques or alternative management modalities.

Another excellent feature of this text is the number of references for each chapter section. Most are extensive and current, with several containing more than 500 entries.

A deficiency of the text is the repetitive discussion of the same diseases in multiple areas without adequate cross-referencing. For example, Wegener's granulomatosis is discussed in six different areas with only one reference to another area. This was frustrating for many conditions because some site areas had a detailed discussion with good photomicrographs, while other areas left the reader referring back to the index for additional information.

As an Oral and Maxillofacial Pathologist with 30 years of experience in head and neck diseases, I learned new information in almost every chapter. The text is a valuable reference for both pathologists and clinicians, and I would highly recommend it for the clinical-pathologic correlation.