Ioachim HL, and Ratech H:

Ioachim's Lymph Node Pathology, Third Edition, 640 pp, Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2002 ($199.00).

In the field that has been dominated by pathbreaking technical innovations, consensus seeking committees, and multiauthored but often unread textbooks, this “medium-sized book” is almost an anomaly. Developed as a one-man overview of lymph node pathology, it has survived 20 years through three editions as a testament to the lone ranger spirit of its author. It shows that personal opinions still count and that pathologists are still willing to pay for books written by somebody who holds such an opinion; even in the often confusing arena of lymphoma diagnosis, or, maybe, just because this aspect of diagnostic pathology is so confusing.

Like the previous editions, the present one deals with both neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases affecting the lymph nodes. The old format, based on a systematic, straight-forward presentation of pathologic entities, has been retained, and the emphasis is still on morphology, microscopic diagnosis, and the differential diagnosis. A co-author (Dr. Ratech), well versed in intricacies of modern hematopathology, has been recruited to help update the text and provide a new dimension. The revision of the old text is complete, and the third edition provides a good state-of-the-art snapshot of lymph node pathology. Most illustrations have been replaced by new color microphotographs. Color was added even to the well-known checklists designed for a quick overview of each chapter and a convenient source of salient diagnostic facts. Advances in immunochemistry, flow cytometry, cytogenetics, and molecular biology have been integrated with classic morphology. This has led to a profusion of acronyms, abbreviations, codes, and inevitable CD numbers. However, to the authors' credit, even this alphabet soup is not as thick as it could have been in the hands of less reasonable cooks, or cholilleh, an international task force. The fact that the book is readable and relatively short should make it attractive to many practicing pathologists in need of a dependable, but not overwhelming, reference.

This book, with a proven track record, has been popular with diagnostic pathologists in the last two decades of the 20th century. Its latest edition definitely deserves the attention of the new trainees and even those beyond the formal training period who are still trying to develop a solid understanding of lymph node pathology.