An Atlas of Diseases of the Nail

by Phoebe Rich, Richard K. Scher

Overview

Diseases of the nail represent a surprisingly large section of most dermatologists' practice - and can present difficult, sometimes intractable, clinical problems. Co-authored by one of the world's foremost authorities in the field, An Atlas of Diseases of the Nail provides expert and authoritative guidance on all aspects of diagnosis and management.

A comprehensive guide to common nail diseases, the book includes anatomy and physiology of the nail unit, paronychia and onycholysis, nail fungal infections, nails in dermatologic diseases, nails in systemic disease, nail cosmetic chemistry, nail cosmetics, clinical aspects, plus the treatment of nail disorders and nail surgery. Examining the nail from every angle, An Atlas of Diseases of the Nail provides you with a visual reference to nail diseases supported by text covering diagnosis and treatment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781850705956
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	05/28/2003
Series:	Encyclopedia of Visual Medicine Series , #61
Edition description:	Illustrate
Pages:	108
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Phoebe Rich, Richard K. Scher

Table of Contents

Illustrated Nail Anatomy. Work Up of Nail Conditions. Nail Changes in Pediatric Patients. Nail Changes in Systemic Disease. Chromonychia. Infectious Causes of Nail Disorders. Nails in Dermatologic Disease. Nail Cosmetics. Nail Tumors.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Renata H. Mullen, MD (Palo Alto Medical Foundation)
Description: The book does not have a preface, therefore it's purpose can only be guessed at. As an atlas, it's aim most likely is to present high quality photographs of various nail disorders. This is a worthy objective, because information on nails is often limited to one chapter in textbooks, and this book meets it.
Purpose: The book does not have an author's preface, therefore it's purpose can only be guessed at. Since it is presented as an atlas, its aim most likely is to show high quality photographs of various nail disorders. This is a worthy objective, because information on nails is often limited to one chapter in textbooks, and this objective is largely met.
Audience: This book is probably written for dermatology residents or medical students. It could also serve as a basic review for practicing dermatologists. The subject matter is probably too specialized to be of interest to nondermatologists. The authors are credible authorities.
Features: The majority of the book covers various nail disorders and their causes. It also has chapters on nail anatomy, examination and work-up of the nail, nail surgery, and nail cosmetics. The best part of the book is the clear and concise chapter on nail anatomy and basic science, which is often confusing in other books. A section on the function of the nail presents an interesting angle on the importance of the nail as a functional rather than just a cosmetic unit. The photographs are all in color and high quality, for the most part. There are some photographs, however, in which the nail abnormality is difficult to visualize, especially in those photographs where the nails plus another part of the body are shown together, e.g., nails and scalp in lichen planus, lupus, alopecia areata. There are only a few tables in the book, and these are helpful. For instance, there is a good table on the causes of pigmentation in the nail. Including more such tables would increase the teaching value of this book. The biggest shortcoming of this book is its organization. Many disorders are listed in two or three different chapters, which by itself would not be a problem, but the descriptive paragraph on the disease entity is the same in each of these chapters, which is repetitive without adding any further insight. It would be much more helpful to fill this space either with additional information regarding a particular entity, or additional photographs. I found the descriptions somewhat superficial; the book could go into more detail and thereby increase its teaching value. I have attended a lecture on nails by one of the authors, which was full of clinical "pearls" and diagnostic pitfalls; precisely the kind of insight that would be useful in this book. A few of the entities do not have clinical photos, such as hand dermatitis, which is a common disorder, and in an atlas, this is a shortcoming. There are also several oversights, such as describing a useful Web site, but not including the name of the site; mislabeling two photographs; stating that type I of a disease is more common, but not describing what type I entails.
Assessment: The idea of the book is a good one, i.e., providing good quality color photographs for nail disorders. However, it lacks the detail in other similarly short books about the nails, and could use more precise editing and the inclusion of more clinical photographs.

Doody's Review Service