1338 TRANSFUSION

Volume 43, September 2003

Blackwell Science, LtdOxford, UKTRFTransfusion0041-11322003 American Association of Blood BanksSeptember 200343Book review

BOOK REVIEWSBOOK REVIEWS

B O O K R E V I E W S

ATLAS OF BONE MARROW AND BLOOD PATHOLOGY

Faramarz Naeim. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 2001. 228pages. Hardcover. Price: US$195.00. ISBN: 0-7216-8735-0.

In the preface, the author of this atlas states that its mainpurpose is “to provide easy and quick access to informa-tion and guidelines on bone marrow and blood pathologyto practicing physicians and those in pathology or hema-tology training.” That stated goal is largely achieved. The17 chapters of the atlas begin with two sections on normaland abnormal morphology of blood and marrow cells;proceed through successive sections on primarily malig-nant neoplasms involving the myeloid, lymphoid, andhistiocytic lineages; and end with chapters on mostlynon-neoplastic disorders of the granulocytic, lympho-cytic, erythrocytic, and platelet and megakaryocytic lin-eages. There is one chapter on marrow hypoplasia. Thelast chapter on BMT is very brief and provides severalillustrations on the findings in the marrow in the periodimmediately after transplant. There are over 280 illustra-tions, and the references include citations up to 2000. Foreach disease or disease category, the pathologic manifes-tations are presented first in the text, followed by a briefdiscussion of the salient clinical features and the differen-tial diagnosis.

The extensive illustrations and the consistently suc-cinct yet insightful text reflect Professor Naeim’s positionas an authority in this field. While the major emphasis ofthis atlas is on blood and marrow morphology, inclusionof several flow cytometric scattergrams in the chapters onacute myelogenous leukemias, acute lymphoblastic leu-kemias, and chronic lymphoid leukemias provides a veryuseful instructional tool to the readers who are still intraining. Finally, the well-illustrated chapters on non-neoplastic blood pathology differentiate this atlas fromother currently available textbooks on marrow pathologyor neoplastic hematopathology.

There are several formatting details in this atlas thatmay prove distracting to some readers and that are worthpointing out. Several figures could use better focus, moreoptimal exposure, or higher magnification (Figs. 1.5-8,2.23, 2.25, 5.10, 7.4B, 8.13, 8.27, and 9.22B), particularlythose related to cytoplasmic hypogranulation of neutro-phils (Fig. 3.5) or to acute promyelocytic leukemia (Figs.5.14B, 5.14C, and 5.15C). For the readers who are at anearly stage of training, several illustrations could benefitfrom placement of more arrows to point to specific cyto-logic details. Placement of reference citations within thetext would have been informative, particularly for issuesthat may still be controversial; for example, the “poly-clonal” origin of lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lym-phoma (page 118), the acceptability of thrombocytopenia

or granulocytopenia “instead” of anemia in the diagnosisof refractory anemia (page 35), or the absence of specificcytogenetic abnormalities in marginal zone lymphomas(page 121). Finally, because the chapters on acute myelog-enous leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes are stillorganized according to the French-American-British clas-sification, with occasional reference to the WHO classifi-cation, readers of this atlas may consider consulting othertextbooks with a more complete and greater emphasis onthe WHO classification.

In summary, this extensively illustrated atlas with itssuccinct text achieves what its author set out to do, “toprovide easy and quick access to information and guide-lines on bone marrow and blood pathology.” It appearswell suited for beginning hematopathology students. Asan atlas, its use is best supplemented by other compre-hensive and current textbooks of hematopathology.

Phuong L. Nguyen, MD

Division of HematopathologyDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology

University of Minnesota Medical SchoolMinneapolis, MN

e-mail: nguye002@umn.edu

Blackwell Science, LtdOxford, UKTRFTransfusion0041-11322003 American Association of Blood BanksSeptember 200343Book

Review

BOOK REVIEWSBOOK REVIEWS

BLOOD SAFETY AND SURVEILLANCE

Jeanne V. Linden, Celso Bianco, editors. New York: MarcelDekker, 2001. 614 pages. Hardcover. Price: US$195.00.ISBN: 0-8247-0263-8.

Blood Safety and Surveillance

is an outstanding and ambi-tious work that embraces the broad topics of safety andsurveillance of the US blood supply. This book presentsinformation regarding infectious and noninfectious risksof blood and the application of surveillance strategies asa method of risk reduction. Editors Linden and Biancohave successfully orchestrated the creation of a compre-hensive textbook, authored by world-renowned experts,that integrates basic science, statistical theories, regula-tory oversight, and epidemiologic principles.

In their Preface, the editors state that their goals forthe book are to examine “transfusion risks in a broadercontext and to present some strategies to minimize theserisks,” to devote special effort to “areas that have receivedless attention in recent years, particularly errors and acci-dents, and the role of public health agencies as expressedby those in charge of monitoring and regulation” and to“provide physicians and other healthcare providers withthe information necessary for appropriate counseling ofpatients who may need, or who have received blood trans-fusions and for counseling of blood donors with abnormal

BOOK REVIEWS

Volume 43, September 2003

TRANSFUSION 1339

screening results.” They intend the book for a worldwideaudience.

Blood Safety and Surveillance

has 40 contributors andconsists of a Preface followed by 26 chapters dividedamong four sections. Section I contains a timely and com-prehensive chapter entitled “Impact of blood donorscreening procedures on transfusion safety.” Section II,“Immunological complications,” addresses the impor-tance and influence of noninfectious complications onblood safety and has chapters devoted to “HemolyticTransfusion Reactions”, “Other Reactions and Alloimmu-nization”, “Managing Error for System Improvement”,“Graft versus Host Disease”, “Transfusion-Related AcuteLung Injury”, and “Clinical Effects of the Immunomodula-tion Associated with Allogeneic Blood Transfusion”.Although it is included in this section because errors maylead to transfusion of incompatible blood and immuno-logic complications, the chapter entitled “Managing errorfor system improvement” might have been better placedin Section IV, “Strategies to reduce risk.” Section III, “Infec-tious complications,” is divided into the following four sub-sections (with 10 chapters): “General” (infectious diseaserisk estimation, blood donor screening and supplementaltesting), “Bacterial infection,” “Viral infections” (HIV, hep-atitis, HTLV, and CMV), and “Others” (CJD, protozoan par-asites, tickborne infections). Section IV, “Strategies toreduce risk,” addresses the surveillance part of the book’stitle in nine chapters: “Surveillance for transfusion-transmitted infectious disease,” “Alternatives to allogeneicblood and strategies to avoid transfusion,” “Leukocytereduction,” “Viral inactivation,” “The role of quality inblood safety,” “Cost-effectiveness analysis of risk-reduction strategies,” “Red blood cell substitutes,” “Profes-sional standards and voluntary accreditation,” and “The roleof federal regulation in blood safety.” These topics, familiarto transfusion medicine specialists, tremendously expandthe breadth of the book and its appeal to a novice in thefield. Appendices include FDA CBER information sources.

Each chapter has been written as a freestanding

monograph to provide the reader with a review of thetopic. The authors distill the essential relevant facts andfeatures for the topic at hand in a concise, but not cursory,easy-to-read style. Numerous well-chosen tables, figures,and illustrations amplify and clarify the information in thetext. Despite the potential for redundancy, there is littleoverlap of subject matter between chapters. Individualchapters are well-organized and thoroughly referencedand many of the extensive chapter endnotes (up to 175references) cite numerous articles published between1997 and 2000. A minor editorial criticism for this valuablework is the inconsistencies in the endnote formatsbetween and within chapters.

While the methodology and the impact of NAT onthe cost of the blood supply are eloquently discussed, thetiming of the publication precluded extensive discussionof the US experience with NAT. However, this does notdetract from such a comprehensive approach to bloodsafety and would certainly appear in a hoped-for secondedition of this book.

Blood Safety and Surveillance

concisely yet compre-hensively presents a wide range of topics and succeeds inaccomplishing its ambitious goals. Transfusion medicinespecialists and donor counselors in the United States andabroad will find this book to be an excellent, easy-to-useresource for understanding the complexities of US bloodsafety and surveillance.

Blood Safety and Surveillance

offers a holistic approach to its topic, bringing togethera wealth of transfusion medicine specialists under theumbrella of transfusion safety and surveillance in a waythat is meaningful to clinicians and transfusion medicinespecialists. A copy would be a welcome addition to thelibrary of any health professional interested in bloodsafety and surveillance, including donor counselors.

Katharine A. Downes, MD

Case Western Reserve UniversityUniversity Hospitals of Cleveland

Cleveland, OHe-mail: katharine.downes@uhhs.com