Description

This atlas is unusual. Unlike most, which give a brief account of normal cytological findings and more extensive coverage of pathological changes, here we have an atlas concentrating on the normal range of cell appearances with just a few examples of abnormal cytology at the end of each chapter to highlight the differences.

The first three chapters cover basic cell structure, preparatory techniques and the cytology of tissue types; the remaining fifteen are divided systemically and provide a comprehensive overview of normal cells encountered in common and unusual targets for cytological sampling. The chapters begin with a few pages of text on the anatomy and histology of the site in question, followed by an account of the cytological appearances as seen in most standard preparations using Papanicolaou, and Diff Quik stains. The text concludes with a resum?? of pitfalls and a few of the chapters include helpful tables of the look-alikes. The format, content and style of these sections are uniform and informative. The layout, however, with solid paragraphs, long lines and unjustified line endings, makes reading the text quite hard work. Perhaps the authors could consider a double column of print to overcome this in the next edition.

Cytologists delight in looking at pictures of cells. There is plenty to relish and learn from in the pages that follow the text and most of the figures are of reasonable quality, although some lack the nuclear chromatin detail expected in an atlas of cytology. There is a tendency for over-use of blue filters which also camouflages nuclear structure. There are occasional odd choices – a Curshmann’s spiral is illustrated in a cervical smear next to ferning of mucus in a bronchoalveolar lavage, not the likeliest places to encounter either of these. On the whole the histology figures are excellent and there are some useful diagrams.

Who should purchase this book and how should it be put to use? I think it is one for a laboratory rather than an individual to buy. It is not ideal for a beginner, but would be helpful for those who are building up experience or revising or for seasoned cytologists who encounter unfamiliar cells which are suspected of being normal. It is competing with other general and specialised atlases, some of which have better illustrations, but its unique slant and coverage would make it a useful addition to the laboratory bookshelf.