Textbook of Angiology - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0387984496 ISBN 13: 9780387984490

Publisher: Springer, 1999

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Textbook of Angiology aims to provide the reader with a fully integrated view of medical and surgical aspects of both vascular and cardiovascular disease. Covering the complete spectrum of angiology, from Basic Physiologic Principles to Phlebology, this text is the only one of its kind, and will be a must for the libraries of cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons alike.

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From The New England Journal of Medicine

The field of vascular disease is rapidly eroding the artificial barriers that previously confined its practitioners to a rather narrow field of endeavor. To remain up to date, clinicians, teachers, and researchers in the field of vascular disease now must enlarge the scope of their knowledge to encompass a broad set of related topics. The Textbook of Angiology attempts to do this in an encyclopedic fashion, and for the most part it succeeds. The editors have endeavored to "ignore the classical disciplinary boundaries of the medical sciences" to form a "discipline that covers all diseases related to blood vessels, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, atherosclerosis, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease."

This comprehensive book covers vascular pathology, particularly atherosclerosis, and vascular pharmacology, including the medical management of coronary artery disease and lipid disorders. It also covers vascular radiology extensively, with discussions not only of modern diagnostic and therapeutic angiography but also of magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear-medicine techniques, and modern, sophisticated ultrasonography. There are comprehensive reviews of the biochemistry and therapeutic control of blood coagulation.

The editors have organized the book into 15 sections and 103 chapters. Unavoidably, there is considerable redundancy and overlap in many of the topics. The first and by far the longest section of the book deals with physiologic principles in angiology. This section covers recent advances in vascular biology but is principally oriented toward coronary artery disease. The section also includes chapters on valvular heart disease and its medical and surgical treatment, as well as a chapter on minimally invasive direct coronary-artery bypass. The emphasis here is on the physiology of the coronary circulation, with little recognition of the concept that flow patterns and the clinical consequences of vascular obstruction in the coronary circulation may differ from those in noncoronary vascular beds.

Subsequent sections describe the current status of peripheral vascular occlusive disease, mesenteric vascular disease, aortic and peripheral aneurysms, vascular problems in the arms, and cerebrovascular disease. The final sections deal with less frequently encountered vascular diseases, such as those with underlying inflammation, venous thrombotic disease, lymphedema, and unusual vascular malformations and hemangiomas.

The print is excellent, and the 984 black-and-white illustrations are very clearly reproduced; most of them are original, rather than reproductions from other publications. Unfortunately, the reference lists vary in quality and style. Occasionally, quantity is substituted for quality, with some chapters citing more than 300 references. Furthermore, the use of such terms as "aspecific," "monolateral," "extremital," and "exposition" (rather than "nonspecific," "unilateral," "extremity," and "exposure") is distracting. Many of the authors are from institutions outside North America, and their viewpoints are sometimes contrary to prevailing practices here. Examples include the statement that aortography is mandatory before repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm and an endorsement of incidental appendectomy and cholecystectomy performed simultaneously with placement of a Dacron graft. Although the book has 1323 pages of text, a number of important vascular topics are omitted. Some common clinical problems and controversies encountered by vascular specialists on a daily basis, such as renovascular disease, fibromuscular disease, vascular infection, and carotid stenting, are not discussed.

Vascular disease has evolved into an interdisciplinary specialty, as reflected by the broad scope of this book. This book will be particularly useful for the practitioner who seeks up-to-date information on the less frequently encountered aspects of vascular disease. It will thus be more useful as an occasional reference source on specific topics than as a broad overview of the traditional clinical aspects of peripheral vascular disease.

Richard L. McCann, M.D.
Copyright � 2000 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved. The New England Journal of Medicine is a registered trademark of the MMS.

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