Color Atlas of Dermatology

Abstract

Color Atlas of Dermatology is a comprehensive reference book for the clinical presentation, medical reasoning, and treatment guidelines of the dermatology discipline. It is packed with sleek illustrations and superb images of representative lesions, with detailed but succinct text. It features more than 300 different dermatological conditions intuitively categorized based on etiology, including cutaneous manifestations of systematic diseases. Each condition or group of similar afflictions is presented in a self-contained spread with illustrations on the right and text explaining the pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical pearls, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis on the left. In addition, the book includes an extended introductory section covering the physiological, embryological, and immunological principles of skin structure and function as well as diagnostic and therapeutic practices in dermatology. Considering that all of this is contained in a pocket-sized paperback, the density of information is simply impressive. This meticulously organized atlas will surely prove to be a valuable resource for medical students and residents interested in pursuing dermatology or dermatopathology as a career. Primary care physicians will also find it extremely helpful. Many dermatological complaints are first presented in a primary care setting, and providers without specialty training are often confounded by the differential diagnosis and unaware of the best treatment options. With this book in hand, primary care physicians may be able to start the appropriate testing or treatment while the patient awaits the dermatology referral, especially in areas where dermatologists are not easily accessible. An outstanding strength of the book is the authors’ diligent research for including cutting-edge developments in the field. The pathogenesis of all diseases are described with updated references to molecular and cellular processes if known, such as the involvement of T helper 17 cell in autoimmune diseases. The epidemiology sections use recent statistics, sometimes with comparisons between countries or ethnic groups. There are also a few imperfections. The figures, while labeled with captions, are not clearly annotated or referenced in the body text. The name of the condition discussed on each page is only shown in a small font in the header section. Better integration of the text and illustrations and more prominently displayed disease titles would make it much quicker for the reader to find the needed information. In summary, Color Atlas of Dermatology offers what the cumbersome hardcover, multi-volume atlases have done conventionally with much improved portability and visual impact.