Pathology of Vascular Skin Lesions: Clinicopathological Correlations

Sangueza OP, Requena L. ($159.50.) Humana Press, 2003. ISBN 1 58829 182 0.

This book fulfills the goal set out in the foreword by the authors. Indeed, there is no book devoted exclusively to the clinicopathological features of vascular skin lesions, and this book fills that void.

The book has black and white clinical and histopathological illustrations but is supplemented by a CD with colour versions. This companion CD is much better, although some illustrations are very out of focus, especially the low power pictures. I suppose if the reader is prepared to revert from the book to computer images, then the CD is a useful substitute. But that may not always be possible.

Most, if not all, vascular cutaneous lesions are covered in this book. The text is brief and in some areas, disappointing. In particular, haemangiopericytoma is covered in a very superficial manner. My impression is that the text has to be supplemented by reading other textbooks containing vascular lesions for more detail. The most disappointing feature of the book is that some of the illustrations are not informative at all. The small size format allied to black and white do not do justice to the book. Better quality black and white pictures may have obviated the need for colour. Most benchbooks are used to “wallpaper match” and because many of the illustrations are of such low magnification, even this becomes difficult.

However, this is a useful book that has all the lesions in one compendium. I think that dermatologists, who dabble in histopathology, and trainees will find this book more useful that fully fledged dermatopathologists. I think there is an opportunity to improve the book in future editions.