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Book Review Indian Pediatrics 2001; 38: 1341-1342 |
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Book Review |
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This excellent book is a welcome addition to the very few books on pediatric subspecialties published in India. It is a multiauthored effort with 26 contributors; 20 from India and 6 from other countries. Of the Indian authors, 8 are pediatric endocrinologists and the remainder "adult endocrinologists" or represent related disciplines. The major areas including growth, puberty, thyroid, adrenals, sexual differentiation and diabetes have been mostly covered by ‘our own’ pediatric endocrinologists, each one with many years of dedicated commitment to the concerned specialty. The book is comprehensive and gives essential information in a clear and direct manner, which the pediatricians would find most useful in suspecting an endocrine problem, performing appropriate preliminary laboratory tests and referring the child to a pediatric endocrinologist. Endocrine disorders are relatively un-common in children and adolesecents, which is all the more reason that they must not be missed and diagnosed early. The first edition of a book is rarely perfect. There are several shortcomings in the organization and presentation, although the description of most disorders is quite satisfactory. The book starts with chapters on hormone measurement and role of genetics in endocrinology. I would have liked to see these come much later and the book begin with a general consideration of pediatric endocrinology and a discussion of clinical features of endocrine disorders in children (although these are adequately included in various chapters). For example, it would be important to mention, in an introductory chapter, that in a majority of children with short stature, obesity and hypertension, endocrine conditions are not involved whereas subjects with ambiguous genitalia, growth retardation, polyuria and polydipsia and suspected thyroid problem should be referred promptly. I find most chapters out standing and complete. A separate chapter on hypertension would be useful to discuss pheochromocytoma and Cushing’s syn-drome as well as some still rarer entities such as dexamethasone-suppressible hyper-aldosteronism and apparent mineralo-corticoid excess (mentioned on page 240). In the copy sent to me, the section on pheochromocytoma (10.4) has some text missing between pages 251 and 252, presumably describing clinical features and diagnostic evaluation. The treatment of Bartter’s syndrome with indomethacin is as specific as one can get (p 240). "Hung text" on page 368 should be incorporated in chapter 16.1. The text has too many abbreviations. Several tables are very poorly presented, some with hundreds of arrows (10.1, 10.2, 14.2) and long legends. Some figures are unclear, especially those of radiographs. Figs. A1-A28 included in appendix should be put in appropriate chapters. The appendix should mention where various hormone assays can be performed in India. The ‘Index’ is very inadequate and confusing and should be totally reorganized. Obesity is listed under ‘childhood obesity’, pheochromocytoma under the main heading of ‘adrenal insufficiency’, Bartter syndrome under ‘defects of aldosterone synthesis" and hypertension does not find a mention. However, the value of the present book is not diminished by the above-mentioned ‘defects’. I would strongly recommended this book to all pediatricians and postgraduate students.
R.N. Srivastava, |
