Color Atlas of Clinical Hematology, Third Edition

The third edition of the Color Atlas of ClinicalHematology, authored by Drs. A. Victor Hoffbrand and John E. Pettit,contains 19 chapters covering the entire spectrum of hematology, includingnormal hematopoiesis, benign and malignant hematologic diseases,nonhematopoietic diseases, stem cell transplantation, coagulation disorders, andblood transfusion. During the course of their careers as hematologists, theauthors have accumulated a vast collection of clinical, microscopic, andradiographic illustrations of hematologic diseases, many of which are displayedherein. This collection is supplemented by photos contributed by theircolleagues and a variety of other diagrams and tables, resulting in acomprehensive and richly illustrated atlas of both common and rare hematologicdisorders. The fact that the authors integrate clinical, microscopic, andradiologic images makes the book especially valuable.

More than a picture book, each section of the atlas contains text withup-to-date information about the clinical and pathologic characteristics of eachdisorder. The discussions are necessarily brief but provide the most pertinentinformation and add tremendously to the value of this atlas as a reference andteaching tool.

The first chapter is devoted to normal hematopoiesis, with extensiveillustrations of blood cell growth and differentiation. It also discusses themorphology and function of normal blood, bone marrow, and lymphoid tissue aswell as immunoglobulin production and immune response.

Chapters 2 through 6 focus on anemia, both congenital and acquired. Among themany illustrations in these chapters are images of koilonychia and angularcheilosis in a patient with severe iron deficiency, blood and bone marrowmorphology in congenital dyserythropoietic anemia, and illustrations of a widevariety of genetic disorders of hemoglobin, including a fetus with alpha-thalassemiahydrops fetalis. The discussions are informative and enhance the educationalvalue of this section.

Chapter 7 covers benign disorders of leukocytes, including several congenitalabnormalities such as the May Hegglin anomaly, benign leukocytoses (eg, toxicneutrophilia and infectious mononucleosis), cytopenias (eg, Kostman’ssyndrome), histiocytic proliferations, and immunodeficiency syndromes.

The chapters on acute leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, and chronicmyeloproliferative disorders (8, 9, and 13, respectively) discuss not only themorphologic aspects but also the immunophenotypic and genetic findings, whenappropriate. The French, American, and British (FAB) classification is used foracute leukemia, although the proposed World Health Organization (WHO)classification for these disorders is included as an appendix at the end of theatlas.

The sections on chronic lymphoid leukemias and malignant lymphoma (chapters10 and 11) include the Working Formulation, the Revised European-AmericanClassification of Lymphoid Neoplasms (REAL classification), and the proposed WHOclassification of B- and T-cell neoplasms. By integrating the proposed WHOclassification and relating it to other recently utilized classificationschemes, the authors have made the chapter more relevant and timely.

Chapter 12, on multiple myeloma and related conditions, includes someoutstanding radiographic and clinical images along with the microscopicfindings. Immunoelectrophoresis is also illustrated, and although immunofixationis currently the preferred method of evaluating patients with monoclonalproteins, its exclusion is a minor omission.

Chapter 14 addresses stem cell transplantation, and chapters 15 and 16 arerichly illustrated sections on congenital and acquired bleeding disorders.Chapters 17 and 18 discuss nonhematopoietic and infectious disorders involvingthe blood and marrow. The final chapter covers blood transfusion.

Overall, this is an outstanding atlas illustrating a wide variety of bothcommon and rare blood disorders. All the images are in color and are of uniformquality with concise legends. A primary strength of this atlas is that it blendsmicroscopic, radiologic, and clinical images with pertinent discussions andextensive diagrams and tables, thereby aiding the reader in understanding thepathophysiology of disease.

A few references at the end of each chapter would have enhanced the value ofthis atlas as a teaching tool. Nonetheless, I am enthusiastic about the book. Itwill be of interest to clinicians and pathologists who are involved inhematology. It is especially valuable for those in training and for those whoteach hematology. I know that I will pull this atlas off my shelf frequently toaugment my teaching of residents and students as we examine blood and bonemarrow through the microscope.