Wiley Encyclopedia of Biomedical Engineering, vols 1-6

Abstract

tions with dosages of medications, which enhances the text's usefulness as a reference source.However, despite some of these shortcomings, the book is instructive and valuable. The first 2 sections cover patient assessment and care, performance improvement, epidemiology, anatomy, molecular biology, and physiology. These chapters are well-written and provide a basic framework, particularly for residents or students beginning their study of women's health. The sections discussing preinvasive and invasive neoplasia are well formulated, with excellent illustrations; the chapter discussing intraepithelial disease of the cervix presents strategies of management that will be particularly useful to generalist obstetriciangynecologists. The 3 chapters in the new section on urogynecology and pelvic reconstructive surgery are carefully constructed and written in a thoughtful manner. The evaluation of patients with various forms of incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse and the nonsurgical management of these problems will be particularly useful to physicians managing such patients. The section discussing preventive and primary care provides a straightforward overview of these important topics. In particular, the material covering complementary therapy is a valuable resource that is not well covered in other texts. However, although the chapter on primary care is concise and well written, it is unclear whether many gynecologists will actually manage some of the conditions depicted in the chapter. The general gynecology section covers many of the conditions encountered by the generalist obstetrician-gynecologist. The chapters on infections and sexually transmitted diseases and benign breast disease provide stepwise approaches to both diagnosis and treatment. The chapter on benign diseases of the reproductive tract is comprehensive, given the amount of material covered. However, the chapter could use more descriptions, discussion of treatment, and photographs of vulvar lesions. The section dealing with reproductive endocrinology provides clear summaries of the many issues related to this topic, although there is some overlap between some chapters. The chapters on recurrent pregnancy loss and the menopause are timely and give a clear perspective of our current understanding of these issues. The chapter on preoperative evaluation and postoperative management will be valuable for residents as an important part of their knowledge base as they learn the principles and techniques of gynecologic surgery. The chapter on gynecologic endoscopy provides an overview of this topic and a pragmatic discussion of its complications.Although the vast majority of the chapters in this text are well written, in future editions the editor may wish to further define the intended audience and to reassess the overall goal of the text as it pertains to that audience. Although the stated goal is to "provide a comprehensive summary of the specialty of gynecology," as written it is much more a text of women's health, with emphasis on classic gynecologic i...