This Article Extract Full Text (PDF) Free Letters to the Editor: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Letters to the Editor are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My File Cabinet Download to citation manager Rights and Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Luthra, H. S. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Luthra, H. S. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

OXFORD TEXTBOOK OF RHEUMATOLOGY. ED. 2, VOLS. 1 AND 2. Edited by P. J. Maddison, David A. Isenberg, Patricia Woo, and David N. Glass. New York, Oxford University Press, 1998. $375.00, 1788 pp.

A four or five-year cycle between editions has become standard for textbooks, so this edition is timely. Many useful changes have been made since the first edition of this textbook was published in 1993. Rheumatology is a relatively young field with a small number of specialists, even though the frequency of rheumatic disorders is fairly high. Thus, a user-friendly textbook that covers the facts and presents the accepted standards of care can be very valuable to a wide audience, and this edition fills that role magnificently.

The first volume covers the clinical presentation of rheumatic diseases in different age-groups. Regional syndromes and involvement of nonarticular systems, such as the pulmonary system, are described in some depth. Other chapters in this volume are devoted to pathophysiology, inflammation, and abnormal findings on laboratory tests.

The second volume contains chapters on all areas of clinical rheumatology, including standard topics such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. These chapters are well written and provide practical information. A unique feature of this volume is that, for each disease, there is a corresponding chapter on the same entity in children. Thus, juvenile arthritis is covered in much more detail than it is in typical rheumatology textbooks. This is a very helpful component of the textbook.

All of the authors are well known in their respective areas of study, and the editors have done an excellent job of ensuring that the chapters have appropriate depth and are clinically relevant. A frequent drawback of books of this size is their inability to be current. This book is no exception, with most chapters having references dating back to 1995 and 1996.

This very well written textbook covers the spectrum of rheumatology, with enough depth to be useful to all students of rheumatic diseases. It will be especially useful to medical students, residents, practicing internists, rheumatologists, and orthopaedists, including those who have an interest in juvenile patients.

Harvinder S. Luthra, M.D.

Division of Rheumatology Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Facebook    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This Article Extract Full Text (PDF) Free Letters to the Editor: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Letters to the Editor are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My File Cabinet Download to citation manager Rights and Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Luthra, H. S. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Luthra, H. S. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Stanford University Libraries' HighWire Press (TM) assists in the publication of JBJS Online.
Copyright © 1999 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc. Online ISSN: 1535-1386.
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery®, JBJS®, JB&JS®, and eJBJS® are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.