Eular Textbook On Rheumatic Diseases ##VERIFIED##

The authors have addressed essential clinical questions and their answers by differentiating between evidence and opinion. Opinion is based on literature review, expert opinion or personal experience and is thus subject to interpretation, whereas evidence is derived from well designed clinical studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The authors have tried to present the pros and cons of the various treatment options available. They have included a chapter dealing with new drugs and trials, the development of new biologic drugs, and trials comparing biologic drugs to the existing standard of care. The book is extremely well illustrated. There are many figures to facilitate the understanding of various aspects of rheumatic diseases. There are many tables for different treatment regimens, with doses and duration of therapy. There are many references in the text to facilitate the reading and citation of relevant literature. The book is highly recommended for the final year medical students taking the eular on-line course on rheumatic diseases, and for postgraduate trainees in basic science and clinical medicine. It is available in paperback and eular edition and can be easily purchased from any good university press (Elsevier, Springer, Förreiger, N. Engl. J. Med.) for $99.

There is a vast amount of published knowledge on rheumatic diseases. There are books on rheumatology written by eminent authors of repute such as Dr. G. F. Angus, Dr. Bruce Armstrong, Dr. A. G. Bell, Dr. R. E. Feldman, Dr. R. R. Franco, Dr. Paul Harris, Dr. O. K. Ives, Dr. R. Kupelian, Dr. C. MacDonald, Dr. R. I. Masterson, Dr. E. J. M. Van Der Meer, and Dr. M. Weiss. These books are replete with illustrations, excellent tables and figures for easy understanding. The authors have done a commendable job in updating all these books and published them as eular editions of these books for easy access. So, if you are a trainee or a practicing physician, you are fortunate to have these books available to you in the university library, or at the medical library of your institution.

The book is quite well-written and easy to read. The only drawback is that the book is too heavily weighted towards the immunological aspects of rheumatic diseases. The authors have missed out important clinical issues, for example, the influence of obesity and changes in body shape on rheumatic diseases. The book would be a boon for surgeons, orthopaedic and sports medicine specialists as well as general practitioners because it is a basic book, which may serve as a good reference material for them. It would also be an excellent reading for postgraduate students and physicians intending to take up rheumatology as a specialty.

The authors have made a very good job in each chapter and in the chapters on rheumatic diseases, connective tissue diseases and vasculitis and cartilage and bone diseases, the chapters are neatly divided into sections and subsections. In addition, the text is well referenced and cross referenced. Overall, the book is comprehensive and well written and should be a useful guide for the readers. 827ec27edc