General and Systematic Pathology

This textbook, intended primarily for medical students, presents pathology in the context of modern medicine and cellular biology. The authors have adopted the long-established practice of dealing with general pathology (the principles of disease processes) before covering systematic pathology (specific diseases affecting individual body systems or organs). Each chapter in the systematic section begins with a brief account of the relevant normal structure and function of the organ or system, emphasizing those aspects which are pertinent to a proper understanding of its pathology. After each major heading with a chapter, where it is considered appropriate, there is a summary panel listing key facts; these have two purposes: first, to provide the reader with foundation of basic knowledge on which the subsequent details can be placed; second, to assist revision by scanning the text. Where relevant, there are brief comments on treatment and its relationship to the pathological features of a disease. Each chapter ends with a list of references to review articles or specialist texts for further reading.
Although pathology extents into the realm of molecular abnormalities, much of it has a visible expression. Illustrations are, therefore, essential. This book contains numerous colour illustrations of diseased tissues at a gross or microscopic level. The morbid images of disease also, in a modern textbook of pathology, should include radiographs, computerised tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance images (MRI); these have been used where relevant. Clear line diagrams are used to depict important mechanisms or principles. The full spectrum of diseases is covered and, anticipating an international readership, many infections and parasitic infestations which are relatively uncommon in the UK are included. The variable chapter length reflects, to some extent, the relative importance or complexity of the conditions described therein. The book ends with a glossary of words used frequently in pathology, but which, by usage, have a meaning slightly different from that to be found in most dictionaries or in the public domain.