Author Description

This multi-authored work provides a comprehensive account of both general and systemic pathology in the modern context. Each chapter has been written by a panel of internationally acknowledged experts and incorporates the most recent advances in the field. Volume I is devoted to the general principles of pathology. Emphasis is placed on the integration of molecular biology with classic cellular pathology. It incorporates a discussion of normal cell structure, differentiation, and function. There are separate chapters on chromosomal organization and gene regulation; general principles of immunology and immune mechanisms in disease including the pathophysiology of infection and other defense mechanisms. There are also two sections on abnormal cell growth including an extensive chapter on neoplasia. In addition, developmental and environmental pathology are covered in this volume. The emphasis throughout has been to correlate well-established general principles and phenomena in pathology with what is now known about underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. Volume II covers the pathology of systems. Here too, care has been taken to integrate the newer techniques, including immunocytochemistry and molecular biology, as they apply to each organ system. Pathology has been described in its clinical context. The approach in each of the system chapters is to describe normal structure and function followed by a description and analysis of the structural and cellular bases of particular diseases. The pathobiology and clinical consequences of pathological processes are emphasized. The intent is to explain gross structural and microscopic observations in disease at a molecular level and point out their clinical relevance. A chapter is devoted to special investigative techniques in pathology including exfoliative and fine needle aspiration cytopathology, together with more recent molecular techniques such as in situ hybridization.