V. Kumar – Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease (9th Edition)

Описание

As we launch the ninth edition of Pathologic Basis of Disease
we look to the future of pathology as a discipline and how
this textbook can remain most useful to readers in the
twenty-first century. It is obvious that an understanding
of disease mechanisms is based more than ever on a strong
foundation of basic science. We have always woven
the relevant basic cell and molecular biology into the
sections on pathophysiology in various chapters. In this
edition we go one step further and introduce a new chapter
at the very beginning of the book titled “The Cell as a Unit of
Health and Disease.” In this chapter we have attempted to
encapsulate aspects of cell and molecular biology that
we believe are helpful in preparing readers for the more
detailed discussions of specific diseases. We would like
to remind readers that the last time a new chapter was
added to this book was in 1967 when Stanley Robbins,
at that time the sole author, decided to add a chapter
on genetic diseases, one of many farsighted decisions by
Dr. Robbins. We hope that the new chapter will be in
keeping with his legacy.
In the preface of the very first edition (1957), Stanley
Robbins wrote:
“The pathologist is interested not only in the recognition
of structural alterations, but also in their significance, i.e.,
the effects of these changes on cellular and tissue function and
ultimately the effect of these changes on the patient. It is
not a discipline isolated from the living patient, but rather
a basic approach to a better understanding of disease and therefore
a foundation of sound clinical medicine.”
We hope we continue to illustrate the principles of
pathology that Dr. Robbins enunciated with such elegance
and clarity over half a century ago.
This edition, like all previous ones, has been extensively
revised, and some areas have been completely
rewritten. A few examples of significant changes are as
follows:
• A feature new to this edition is the introduction of Key
Concepts boxes, scattered in each chapter to summarize
“take home” messages relating to major topics covered
in each disease or disease group.
• Chapter 2 has been updated to include novel pathways
of cell death beyond the long-established pathways
of necrosis and apoptosis. Indeed, the distinction
between these two is being blurred. Autophagy, which
has begun to take center stage in diseases ranging
from aging to cancer and neurodegeneration, has been
revised, as have the possible molecular mechanisms of
aging.
• Chapter 3 now combines the discussion of inflammation
with repair, since these two processes run concurrently
and share common mediators.
• Chapter 5 includes a completely rewritten section on
molecular diagnosis that reflects rapid advances in
DNA sequencing technology.
• Chapter 7 has been extensively revised to incorporate
knowledge and concepts of tumor biology gleaned from
deep sequencing of cancers.
• The ongoing revolution in “genomic medicine” has provided
the impetus for extensive updates of many disease
entities associated with newly described germline or
somatic genetic alterations. Throughout, we have taken
pains to try to only emphasize the lesions that are
most common and most informative in terms of disease
pathogenesis.
• Chapter 18, covering diseases of the liver, has been reorganized
and extensively revised to include discussion
of the molecular basis of hepatic fibrosis and its
regression.
• Chapter 27, covering diseases of nerves and muscles,
also has a fresh look. The diseases are now organized
anatomically, starting from neurons and going to
muscles, with diseases of neuromuscular junction bridging
the two.
• In addition to the revision and reorganization of the
text, many new photographs and schematics have been
added and a large number of the older “gems” have
been enhanced by digital technology.
Despite the changes highlighted above, our goals remain
the same as those articulated by Robbins and Cotran over
the past many years.
• To integrate into the discussion of pathologic processes
and disorders the newest established information
available—morphologic as well as molecular.
• To organize information into logical and uniform presentations,
facilitating readability, comprehension, and
learning.
• To maintain the book at a reasonable size and yet
provide adequate discussion of the significant lesions,
processes, and disorders. Indeed, despite the addition
of a new 30-page chapter and Key Concepts, we have
kept the overall length of the book unchanged. One of
our most challenging tasks is to decide what to eliminate
to make room for new findings.
• To place great emphasis on clarity of writing and proper
use of language in the recognition that struggling to
comprehend is time-consuming and wearisome and
gets in the way of the learning process.
• To make this first and foremost a student text—used by
students throughout all years of medical school and into
their residencies—but, at the same time, to provide sufficient
detail and depth to meet the needs of more
advanced readers.
We have repeatedly been told by readers that up-todatedness
is a special feature that makes this book very
valuable. We have strived to remain current by providing
new information from the recent literature, some from
2014, the current year. We have removed the references
from the text and aggregated the most useful review articles
in our lists of suggested readings.
We are now into the digital age, and so the text will be
available online to those who own the print version. Such
access gives the reader the ability to search across the entire
text, bookmark passages, add personal notes, use PubMed
to view references, and exploit many other exciting features.
In addition, also available online are case studies
developed by one of us (VK) in collaboration with Herb
Hagler, PhD, and Nancy Schneider, MD, PhD, at the
University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.
The cases are designed to enhance and reinforce learning
by challenging students to apply their knowledge to solve
clinical cases. To assist in the classroom, we have also made
the images available for instructors on the Evolve website.
Instructors may register at https://evolve.elsevier.com/ to
gain access to the images for teaching purposes.
All three of us have reviewed, critiqued, and edited each
chapter to ensure the uniformity of style and flow that have
been the hallmarks of the book. Together, we hope that we
have succeeded in equipping the readers with the scientific
basis for the practice of medicine and in whetting their
appetite for learning beyond what can be offered in any
textbook.
Vinay Kumar