Colonic Diseases - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0896039617 ISBN 13: 9780896039612

Publisher: Springer, 2003

Synopsis

The Scientification of Gastroenterology During the 20th Century * Science contributes to medicine in three ways: It provides a body of relatively secure knowl­ edge. Some of that knowledge has been applied to develop technologies which have had a major impact upon the practice and effectiveness of medicine. Last, science offers to medicine a way of thinking. - 1. McCormick [(1993) The Contribution of Science to Medicine. Perspect. Bioi. Med. 16,315.] Awareness of the digestive system began with the dawn of civilization, when man, observing the feeding habits of animals in the surrounding environment, experimented with foods, edible and inedible. Identity came with discoveries of the digestive organs during the 16th and 17th centuries. Function was revealed by physiologic studies of digestion, absorp­ tion and secretion, metabolism, and motility during the 18th and 19th centuries. Diagnostic access improved with the technological advances of the 20th century. Understanding of gas­ trointestinal (GI) disease followed the growth of the basic sciences and gastroenterology's involvement in scientific research during the latter half of the 20th century. Early in the 20th century, gastroenterology was yet an undefined activity without clinical or scientific guidelines. Diagnostic approach to the digestive tract was minimal. Valid con­ cepts of disease were lacking. Visceroptosis, sitophobia, and "colonic autointoxication" were common "diagnoses." Therapeutic resources were scarce.

About this title

From the Back Cover

With an aging population prone to colorectal disorders and with the quickening pace of medical discovery, there is a need for an up-to-date survey of the field. In Colonic Diseases, Timothy R. Koch, MD, has assembled a panel of innovative basic researchers, esteemed clinical investigators, and well-known clinicians to bridge the gap between basic and clinical research and the day-to-day care of patients with colonic disorders. As a foundation for better understanding, the authors review what is currently known about normal colonic physiology, explain the mechanisms of disease involved in the development of colonic disorders, and highlight important clues for potential therapies. Their review of the diagnosis and treatment of common colonic disorders covers colorectal neoplasia, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ulcerative colitis, diverticular disease, Crohn's disease, and constipation. Here the authors fully discuss potential symptoms, pathological and radiological findings, the differential diagnosis, and presently recommended modes of evaluation and therapy, including the use of probiotics. New areas of potential treatment not presently available for patients with chronic symptoms are also examined, along with the advanced treatment techniques currently in use at the Cleveland Clinic (for ulcerative colitis), The University of Chicago (for Crohn's disease), the Mayo Clinic (for irritable bowel syndrome), and the MD Anderson Cancer Center (for colorectal cancer).
Timely and cutting-edge, Colonic Diseases explains the origins and treatment of common colorectal disorders, blending the molecular mechanisms of disease with new outcomes and epidemiological research to improve our present and future understanding of colonic diseases and their management.

Reviews

Most books that come my way these days end up on a shelf gathering dust and are seldom if ever consulted after an initial inspection. For many clinicians and basic scientists, the preferred method of retrieving information and reference data is with the use of a computer terminal. At first glance, I assumed the book edited by Koch would probably have a fate similar to that of the rest of my office library. But no. Here is a collection of chapters that I will recommend for use by trainee clinician-scientists and by basic scientists who desire a perspective on their work -- a bridge between basic and clinical research. Providing such a bridge is the main objective of this book. To that end, it succeeds admirably. The book is an attractive, high-quality production, well illustrated and comprehensively referenced. Despite its title, only about a third of the book deals with a description of colonic diseases; the remainder deals with aspects of colonic physiology and the investigation into disease processes. Most of the authors of the 33 chapters are widely recognized for their expertise and contributions. This expertise is reflected in the writing, which is generally succinct, clear, and of a high standard. (Figure) Although this collection includes chapters that one expects to find in traditional textbooks, it also covers topics that are more difficult to find in such books. For example, the chapter on the interpretation of colonic biopsies will be useful to many readers and is likely to help improve communication between clinicians and pathologists. Similarly, an entire chapter dedicated to epidemiologic studies and outcomes research will be of use to clinical and scientific readers whether they are conducting research or attempting to interpret it. A chapter on the physiology and pathophysiology of colorectal sensory processes provides an anchoring perspective for subsequent chapters on disease processes such as irritable bowel syndrome. Other useful information that is often buried in large, conventional textbooks is covered in chapters dedicated to colonic lymphatics, aging, and mucins. Most of the information is current, although I was disappointed by some omissions. The chapter on Crohn's disease should have included current information on the NOD2/CARD15 mutation, and the chapters on immunology and inflammation would benefit from a better discussion of the innate immune system and Toll-like receptors. Notwithstanding such notable drawbacks, the book provides the reader with a crisp, readable account of the contribution of basic scientific endeavor to modern gastroenterology. That gastroenterology in general and colorectal physiology and pathophysiology in particular have emerged as exciting fields that are rich with scientific advances at both the research bench and the bedside is well illustrated in this book. For those in the field of colonic disorders who have become jaded by the use of unwieldy textbooks and computer terminals, this book is refreshingly manageable, easy to read, and generally filled with useful information. Fergus Shanahan, M.D.
Copyright © 2004 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved. The New England Journal of Medicine is a registered trademark of the MMS.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0896039617
• ISBN 13: 9780896039612
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 574
• Editor: Koch Timothy R.