Paediatric Diagnosis

Diagnosis of the vast array of paediatric surgical disorders is often made entirely on clinical grounds, most of which can be clearly illustrated by photography. This illustrated guide contains a vast resource of clinical material for paediatric surgeons and their students. The book includes a large number of colour photographs of both common and uncommon conditions, together with fully descriptive legends and supporting text. These include a discussion of features that are not apparent in the photograph but which would be found during a clinical examination, such as tenderness. The first chapter deals with antenatal diagnosis, since many congenital abnormalities are now diagnosed at this time. The second chapter deals with major neonatal abnormalities which are apparent at or just after birth. Chapters 3 to 8 sequentially deal with the regions of the body, from head, neck and torso to the limbs. A definitive diagnosis of internal abnormalities is often only made after specialized radiological investigations, or at operation.
Consequently, operative views illustrate those conditions in which a diagnosis is made at laparotomy or thoracotomy, or where the operative appearance is characteristic. Chapter 9, on trauma, covers all systems, but special emphasis is given to child abuse, and in particular, child sexual abuse. The book makes no attempt to give details of operative technique.