Gastrointestinal Pathology: Classification, Diagnosis, Emerging Entities, An Issue of Surgical Pathology Clinics, E-Book, 1st Edition

"A short review based book, well illustrated and useful for gastrointestinal speciality pathologists."

Dr David Poller MD FRCPath, Consultant Pathologist & Reader in Pathology, Aug 14

"I am going to be totally honest in this book review. I was going to read the contents and preface, have a quick flick through the book, read a few passages here and there and just get a general feel for the book before writing this. But once I started reading, it became clear that this book provides a very clear, concise overview on many of the emerging areas and expanding topics in gastrointestinal pathology, and I’ve read the first five chapters in their entirety, as well as using the rest of the book for reference in my work in GI pathology in the past week.

The chapter on HER2 assessment in upper GI tract adenocarcinoma includes relevant findings from the ToGA (Trastuzumab for Gastric Adenocarcinoma) trial and its implications for clinical practice. Lymphomas of the GI tract provides a clear summary of the most common primary and systemic lymphomas which involve the gut, including entities (such as B-Cell Lymphoma – Unclassifiable) listed for the first time in the WHO 2008 classification, and discusses the diagnostic difficulties in these cases, as definitive diagnostic criteria have not yet been developed. The section discussing mesenchymal tumours of the GI tract (not including GIST) covers many entities barely discussed or not included in larger texts, and the sections on Barretts oesophagus, IgG4-related disease and polyposis syndromes include recent research findings to supplement the reader’s existing knowledge. There are several high quality photomicrographs per page, as well as occasional relevant macroscopic photographs and radiological images to illustrate specific points.

The regular ‘Key Features’, ‘Differential Diagnosis’ and ‘Pitfalls’ boxes provide helpful summaries and supplement the already very readable subtitled text. Like the other Surgical Pathology Clinics publications, the book is a manageable size, does not attempt to cover every point in every topic (clearly not the remit of this kind of book), and focuses on the practical implications of recent developments for practicing pathologists in general and sub-specialist GI histopathologists.

Overall, this book is an excellent update on many important entities as it pulls together evidence from a broad range of journals publishing relevant data and discusses the implications for everyday work. It will be useful to pathologists developing a sub-specialist interest in GI pathology and general surgical pathologists. I will definitely continue to read it once I have submitted this review, which might actually be the highest praise I could give."