Cytology: Diagnostic Principles and Clinical Correlates

I got the second edition of the book 5 years ago when I was a cytopathology fellow. I fell in love with the book immediately after I finished the first chapter. Rarely, a cytology book can be both concise and comprehensive. This one certainly exceeds everyone’s expectation. The new edition examines the latest diagnostic techniques for the interpretation of a complete range of cytologic specimens. Although the new edition has many similarities to the previous edition, there are some significant changes: (1) The size of the book (8’’ 11’’) is bigger than the previous edition; (2) Includes the ThinPrep imaging system and the new (2006) American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology management guideline in the gynecologic cytology chapter; (3) Incorporates the Bethesda system for reporting thyroid FNA interpretations in the thyroid chapter for the first time; (4) Discusses the implementation of proficiency testing and changes in laboratory inspection and accreditation in the laboratory management chapter; (5) Features anytime, anywhere online access to the complete text of the book, fully searchable—as well as all of the images for your personal use— at www.expertconsult.com. The new edition inherits the format of the 2nd edition, which includes 17 chapters covering every type of cytology—organized mainly by organ systems. It provides an indepth analysis of common diagnostic pitfalls and samples of signing out reports. It uses capsular summaries and easy to read colored, shaded, and bulleted text to provide a quick review of cytomorphologic features, diagnostic pitfalls, and differential diagnoses. It offers extensive review of special techniques such as immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and molecular pathology in helping the interpretation of difficult cytologic cases. The 3rd edition also includes over 700 full-color illustrations. Although the majority of them are Pap-stained pictures, they are in excellent quality and provide a real-life perspective of a full range of cytologic findings. Last but not least, the new edition again emphasizes pertinent clinical correlation and patient management issues to reflect the title of the book. As the authors quote in the preface to this edition ‘‘good cytologists are those who understand the clinical implications of their interpretations.’’ In summary, this is an excellent, easy to read, and very practical cytology book. It is on the top of my wanted list and I highly recommend it to practicing cytopathologists, cytology fellows, and pathology residents.