Book Review
Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Disease
N Engl J Med 2008; 358:1083March 6, 2008
- Article
Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Disease
(Progress in Respiratory Research. Vol. 36.) Edited by Ulrich Costabel, Roland M. du Bois, and Jim J. Egan. 348 pp., illustrated. Basel, Switzerland, Karger, 2007. $230. ISBN: 978-3-8055-8153-0The editors of Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Disease, the latest book in the Progress in Respiratory Research series from Karger, have chosen a title that incorporates the multiple previous designations for interstitial lung disease. From the seminal descriptions by Averill Liebow and Charles Carrington, through the revisions by Anna-Luise Katzenstein and Jeffrey Myers, acronyms and classifications have been an integral part of the history of interstitial lung disease. For example, a PubMed search performed in December 2007 (with the limits “humans” and “English”) revealed the following citations for widely used terms: more than 25,000 items for interstitial lung disease, more than 1600 items for diffuse interstitial lung disease, more than 300 items for infiltrative lung disease, and more than 300 items for diffuse parenchymal lung disease. Notably, semantics are not the only concepts that are advancing in the field of interstitial lung disease.
With contributions from international experts on interstitial lung disease, the editors have divided the topic of the book into four sections. The first is devoted to classifications, with attention to clinical and histopathologic features. Much of this section is a general overview. The second section deals with “basic aspects,” whereas the third and fourth sections deal with specific phenotypes, pediatrics, and lung transplantation. The first, third, and fourth sections have managed, by and large, to be clinically useful without being either superficial or overly dense. The chapters in the third section, which focus on individual diseases, are well presented and clearly written. The last two chapters of the book are discussions of interstitial lung diseases in children and of lung transplantation, and they will be much appreciated by a diverse range of readers.
Photomicrograph Showing an Asteroid Body in Sarcoidosis. A compelling strength of this volume comes from the five chapters in the second section, “Basic Aspects.” Devoted to recent and emerging data regarding genetics and pathobiology, these chapters balance the clinical topics that are discussed in the other sections of the book. They also set the stage for future strides that may be made in understanding the pathogenesis of interstitial lung disease and for the potential discovery of therapeutics that can be applied across multiple disciplines.
Overlap in a book like this one is unavoidable, but here it is mostly confined to the chapters in the first section. The chapter on histopathology could have benefited from larger color images rather than the small black-and-white images that are included. A few chapters that do feature quality histopathology panels in color make up for this drawback. The radiographic images are better than the histopathologic images, but they also vary in quality. Additional schematic models might have enhanced the descriptions as a reference for those who are less familiar with the rapidly expanding list of newer terms and pathways. Overall, however, this timely and comprehensive volume should generate broad appeal and excitement regarding future possibilities in the treatment and understanding of diffuse parenchymal lung disease.
Patricia W. Finn, M.D.
Nick H. Kim, M.D.
University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
pwfinn@ucsd.edu
