I was genuinely delighted when this book arrived for review. Usually I get something on vertigo which props up one end of the book case gathering dust. A quick skim through this instantly told me the section editor had blessed me with something I shall genuinely value. I just hope the rules haven’t changed and I get to keep this, as I’ve already showed it to colleagues. We all agree, this is going to make an incredibly useful addition to our departmental library.
Now, I would consider vascular anomalies to be rare, but I’d be wrong. I was referred one only last week, just as our ENT department formally entered the new paediatric hospital, funny that. If only I’d had this text book then. Although I have just read through the entire book, and thoroughly enjoyed it, it is not set out to be a novel. It is a reference book. It has over 400 pages and covers every possible vascular anomaly you could reasonably encounter split into six chapters: infantile haemangiomas, other vascular tumours, capillary malformations, venous malformations, lymphatic malformations and arteriovenous malformations. Yes, there would be repetition if you read chapter after chapter, but again, that is not its stated aim.
Each chapter is subdivided into individual case studies, each with a specialist title (e.g. infantile haemangioma of the eyelid). So if you have a particular case, it is easy to find in the book. Each case study has been submitted by a different contributing author. Each one offers an overview, differential diagnosis, work up and management. Where appropriate the chapter explains the relevant surgical technique or alternative medical management options. Each chapter is comprehensive enough without being longwinded – perfect to read up on to help diagnose and treat a particular patient you come across. Whilst the majority of this text pertains to paediatric practice there are substantial descriptions of complex adult cases.
The clinical pictures are very good and the overall layout and print quality excellent. This is a first rate reference book. I would wholeheartedly recommend this to any specialist ENT department who treats vascular anomalies. These are complex conditions requiring multidisciplinary working. This text will be a valuable aid indeed.
