Abstract
Anglophone veterinary diagnostic pathologists in North America are fortunate to have 2 bibles. One is Jubb, Kennedy, and Palmer’s Pathology of Domestic Animals, edited by Grant Maxie, the same fellow who edits this journal. The most recent version of his multi-author 3-volume tome is in its sixth edition, published in 2016. The book reviewed here is, in some sense, its competitor: Pathologic Basis of Veterinary Disease, edited by Jim Zachary. Its last edition came out in 2017. I review here its seventh edition, published in 2022. The publisher is Elsevier, which prints its human enantiomorph (Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease), as well as JK&P. If you talk shop with medical librarians and mention Elsevier, you may elicit musings on crafty monetizing of academic journals. Yet, whatever about its pricing policies and bundling of journals, Elsevier publishes beautiful, lavishly illustrated texts. The new edition of Zachary is no exception.
The statement that JK&P and Zachary are competitors is something of an exaggeration. Diagnostic pathologists need both, particularly if they teach. The higher priced JK&P ($491) is longer at >2,000 pages. Zachary’s text, by contract, is targeted at veterinary students and instructors, hence a lower price, single-volume format, with an emphasis on clear medical diagrams, tables, and images, and availability of a full-digital version with supplemental material. When I need a current update on a veterinary disease, I consult JK&P. For teaching, I go to Zachary.
At first blush, the seventh edition of the Pathologic Basis of Veterinary Disease is a facsimile of the sixth. It is a longer at 1,490 printed pages. It is no joke to haul around in a backpack (4.5 kg; 10 lb) or take on a date. It may be nearing the point where 2 volumes make more sense. References and a limited number of diseases are consigned to the digital realm. It retains a division into general pathology (pp. 16–394; chapters 1–6) and pathology of organ systems (pp. 396–1433; chapters 7–21). This edition places more emphasis on cytology, and cytology photomicrographs appear in many chapters alongside their histologic correlates. A new feature is a 13-page introduction by Drs. Zachary and Miller outlining how lesions are characterized. There are now 11 appendices, all online only. They address collaboration and consultation on pathology cases, photography, conducting postmortem examinations, recognition of gross lesions, making a diagnosis, generic tissue fixation and processing, fixation and grossing of central and peripheral nervous systems, surgical biopsies, examining and infusing lungs, and postmortem technique for individual organ systems. Each is worth reading. Don McGavin’s section on photography (appendix B) could be the standard go-to piece for creating useful pathology images. In the appendix on consultation, I hoped to see something about how pathologists should interact with each other when they need a second opinion, particularly how it is reported and shared. Its focus instead is on pathologist–clinician interactions, which is fair enough, given its importance.
There are 14 new contributors, most from universities in the United States and Canada, as well as several from private diagnostic pathology services. A continuing strength of the text is the coverage of general pathology. Although comprising just one quarter of the book, veterinary instructors rely heavily on it, particularly its diagrams and selection of exemplary diseases.
I compared 2 chapters from the sixth and seventh editions. One was largely a rewrite of the same material by one author (Skeletal Muscle; ch. 15). The other was extensively revised, possibly because both authors were new (Urinary System; ch. 11). Although there is reorganization of layout, many chapters in both editions cover the same diseases, with text and images a close match. By contrast, the chapter on integument (ch. 17) was heavily reworked. It has a useful, explicit set of images to illustrate common clinical dermatology terms (e.g., epidermal collarettes, macules, comedo), succinct and practical coverage of an ever-growing list of skin diseases, and an interesting approach to common cutaneous neoplasms.
A good index lays open the nerves and sinews of a text. Over 2 months, I dipped into the index to see if it took me promptly to diagnostically pertinent information. I consulted the index on mundane topics (Clostridium perfringens, eosinophilic granulomas, feline soft tissue sarcoma, dysautonomia, hemochromatosis/hemosiderosis, histiocytic disorders, amyloidosis, pestiviruses, and several genetic diseases). I found the index to be accurate and helpful. Bolding the page number for sections with the most extensive coverage of a topic would be useful when multiple pages are listed.
A book review’s last paragraph is home for praise, whining, and caveats. First, praise. For reasons of concision, I limit praise to two. The illustrations, tables, and diagrams are abundant and almost uniformly excellent. The book’s appendices distill wisdom and common sense. New trainees, and not a few older dogs, might benefit by following the advice they contain. Quibbles are twofold: the several portals to online versions of the book, and the brevity of each chapter’s list of citations. Probably reflecting my incompetence, one portal took me to images only, which I thought was the eBook version, and a puzzled search for the rest of the book. Another took me to appendices, online chapters, and images, and a sigh of relief. For some earlier editions, I managed to lose online access. Woe betides readers seeking to retrieve online access from Elsevier, a dreaded and time-consuming endeavor. My caveat regards the book’s focus, given that it is not reflected in any subtitle. The text covers North America’s 2 major companion animal species, most food animal species, and horses. The noble chicken is not covered, nor are wildlife, or exotic and laboratory animal species. Yet most diagnostic pathologists earn their meagre crust by knowing lesions in dogs, cats, cattle, sheep, pigs, and horses. I should not cavil at the imperative to keep a text within reasonable limits. At less than $160 dollars for both hard copy and online access, this is excellent value. It merits a place beside JK&P.