TY - JOUR
AU - D’Eril, Gianvico, Melzi
AB - Clinical Pathology of Pancreatic Disorders. John A. Lott, ed. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press, 1997, 218 pp. $99.50. ISBN 0-89603-475-5. As the Preface indicates, the emphasis of this book is on the clinical laboratory definition of pancreatic pathology. Laboratory scientists have become increasingly aware of the important influence of biochemical tests on the correct diagnosis of pancreatic disorders. This publication would make an appropriate addition to information regarding the laboratory aspects of this pathology. Eight different authors contributed the five chapters, discussing clinical and biochemical topics concerning various pancreatic diseases. The first chapter, “Transplantation of the Pancreas or Pancreatic Islet Cells,” primarily focuses on postoperative laboratory support for monitoring rejection and infections. Of limited interest for laboratory analysts is the description of surgical techniques in pancreas transplantation. The exocrine disorders of the gland are discussed in Chapter 2. After a brief introduction on the physiology of pancreatic exocrine function, this part contains an overview of the most important characteristics of pancreatic-secreted enzymes, a survey of pancreatic function tests, and a focus on the principal conditions affecting this function, in a not thoroughly logical sequence. Chapter 3 reviews the utility of both the commonly used and more esoteric indicators of acute pancreatitis, providing a discussion on the use of biochemical markers to diagnose acute pancreatitis, to assess the severity of the disease, and to monitor the complications that may occur in these patients. However, it is disappointing to note that this part did not include a thorough discussion on methodological problems met in measuring pancreatic enzymes. Chapter 4 deals with the role of the laboratory in the diagnosis of pancreatic neoplasms, from the slow-growing endocrine tumors to the quickly metastasizing adenocarcinoma. In our opinion, the part covering pancreatic carcinoma is particularly useful; 25 different tumor markers and their possible roles in the diagnosis and management of patients are clearly described. The last chapter deals with the laboratory tests employed to evaluate the endocrine function of the pancreas and their role in the diagnosis and management of patients with related disorders. Of particular interest is the description of autoimmune phenomenon in the pathogenesis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and the discussion of the role of measurement of autoantibodies in serum as useful predictors of disease development. Overall, the book is clearly written and contains informative illustrations and tables. The descriptions of the pathophysiology of diseases are up to date and cover not only the biochemical basis but also the genetic and physiologic basis of disease. The discussion of the use and interpretation of laboratory tests, with the criticisms presented above, is substantially well-organized. Primarily written for laboratory analysts, the book is likely to become a basic reference for anyone interested in pancreatic disorders. More than 870 references provide the reader with abundant sources of further information. © 1998 The American Association for Clinical Chemistry This article is published and distributed under the terms of the Oxford University Press, Standard Journals Publication Model (https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model)
TI - Clinical Pathology of Pancreatic Disorders.
JF - Clinical Chemistry
DO - 10.1093/clinchem/44.6.1369
DA - 1998-06-01
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/oxford-university-press/clinical-pathology-of-pancreatic-disorders-9D910I7YDk
SP - 1368
EP - 1369
VL - 44
IS - 6
DP - DeepDyve
ER -