Abstract
The first edition of Comparative Veterinary Histology with Clinical Correlates is an atlas of microscopic anatomy and selected microscopic lesions that, according to the authors, was designed to stimulate an appreciation of the relationship between structure and function in veterinary undergraduates. According to the publisher, this book is aimed as a reference for veterinary students, veterinary practitioners, and pathologists.
After a brief introduction that includes staining techniques and artifacts, the structure of the cell is reviewed followed by chapters organized by organ systems (connective tissue, blood, muscle, cardiovascular, etc.). The majority of chapters review the mammalian tissue first, followed by avian, reptile, and fish histology. The chapters are short, with minimal text and only a few schematic drawings (mainly in the Appendix). Throughout each chapter, selected clinical correlates, highlighted by a blue background, are presented.
The atlas is extensively illustrated with 758 color photographs on 296 pages. The majority of the images are 3–4 inches wide. Images depicting nonmammalian tissues and clinical correlates are often of surprisingly of poor quality (autolytic changes, poor staining, out of focus). Labels used in many images are small, black and white, and often difficult to identify. The lack of arrows or numbers in many photographs makes it difficult for the novice reader to get oriented. The atlas was also reviewed by a colleague who has been teaching veterinary histology and embryology for at least 10 years. She found the book to be difficult for 1st year veterinary students and less useful for gaining a quick understanding of the microscopic structure of different organs.
A detailed comparative histology of mammalian, avian, reptile, and fish histology, even in the format of an atlas on only 296 pages, seems overly ambitious, especially when advertised as a reference for specialists in the field, including veterinary pathologists. Adding clinical correlates to such a comparative atlas, which often appear random and neither reflect the range of pathologic changes for each organ system nor represent a selection of the most common diseases, further distracts and confuses the reader. As an example, the Intestinal Tract (27 pages in total) includes a total of three clinical correlates on gingivitis in dogs and cats and peptic ulcers in dogs and a three-page summary regarding the alimentary system of reptiles and amphibians. Instead of providing the reader with an in-depth, high-quality comparative microscopic anatomy of mammalian and nonmammalian species, which would have been of immense value to a number of specialists in varying fields, including veterinary pathologists, the authors fail in their goals by simply combining too much different information in insufficient detail. I found this book to be of rather limited value for the veterinary pathologist.