Humana Press Inc.

Minimally invasive urologic surgery is revolutionizing how physicians treat many urologic diseases. Laparoscopy in particular has reduced the pain, morbidity, and recovery time for many procedures traditionally per- formed through an open incision. Since laparoscopy is now the preferred modality for many benign conditions, the indications have expanded with the technique, so that it is now applied to the management of most urologic cancers. The aim of Laparoscopic U rolo g ic Oncology is to provide the first com- prehensive textbook dedicated to the minimally invasive management of urologic cancers. The book is not intended to review the biology of urologic tumors, which is well covered in other texts, but rather their management. In particular, it focuses on surgical technique and the role of laparoscopic surgery in the management of these tumors. It also addresses patient con- ditions for which a minimally invasive alternative does not exist. The book is not a surgical atlas, but it does provide a balanced insight into its indica- tions, contraindications, and results. Furthermore, the authors compare results to conventional open surgery, discuss controversies, and identify the shortcomings of minimally invasive procedures. In particular, such issues as the adequacy of oncologic results and their morbidity are com- pared to those experienced with conventional open techniques. Laparoscopic Urologic Oncology focuses on educating both general urologists and urologic oncologists on the current and future role of laparoscopy and other minimally invasive techniques in urologic oncology.

This thoroughly updated and revised edition of a classic textbook reflects the many advances that have occurred in our basic understanding of neurological processes and their clinical significance. Designed specifically for medical students and allied health professionals, the book alternates scientific and clinical chapters that explain the basic science underlying neurological processes and then relate that science to the understanding of neurological disorders and their treatment. These popular clinical correlations cover, in detail, disorders of the spinal cord, neuronal migration, the autonomic nervous system, ocular motility, and the basal ganglia, as well as demyelinating disorders, stroke, dementia, and abnormalities of cognition, Parkinson's disease, nerve trauma, peripheral neuropathy, aphasias, and myasthenia gravis. Authoritative and comprehensive, Neuroscience in Medicine, Second Edition provides a fully up-to-date and readily accessible guide to brain functions at the cellular and molecular level, as well as clearly demonstrating their diagnostic and therapeutic importance.

A unique practice-oriented survey of how the new surgical, analytical, and biomedical advances are being applied to pediatric urology. Here the practicing urologist will find informative, easy-to-read reviews of the modern evaluation of prenatal hydronephrosis, the standard treatment of reflux vs the newer injectable techniques, and the spectrum of hypospadias treatment along with new developments in bladder exstrophy. Additional updated topics include what's new in undescended testis, the evaluation of difficult duplication anomalies, voiding dysfunction and neurogenic bladders, pediatric stone disease, and the developmental problems associated with genitourinary defects.

The preparation of Aging, Immunity, and Infection has been a "labor of labor. " When we began, there existed a huge literature-but manage- able, we thought, given our years of experience in the area often referred to as immunogerontology. However, in the time that we have been at work, the new relevant literature has increased at a prodigious rate. The more we read and tried to assimilate, the farther we fell behind. In order to have any hope of completing a book on this rapidly evolving topic, we have been forced to become increasingly selective in covering new and re cent publications. We dare to hope that many read- ers will find the book useful and only a few will dweIl on the inevitable inadequacies. We consider the book a work in progress, and welcome suggestions for future editions. Five chapters cover several aspects of infection and the decline of immunity with age. The first chapter "Human Aging: Present and Future," is devoted to demographics and theories of senescence. Chap- ter 2 outlines the gradual breakdown of resistance to infection in the aged individual. Chapters 3 and 4 cover changes in innate and acquired immunity. The final chapter, "Nutrition, Longevity, and Integrity of the Immune System," discusses such provocative ideas as life-span exten- sion and nutritional intervention for the delay of immunosenescence.

In this greatly enlarged and thoroughly updated edition of his much praised Cardiac Markers, Alan Wu and his contributors focus on the use of markers in the practice of cardiology and-for the first time-on the use of natriuretic peptides for congestive heart failure. Here, leading international authorities in clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine, cardiology, emergency medicine, and the in vitro diagnostics industry describe the state-of-the-art uses of cardiac markers when treating coronary artery disease, and discuss in detail how they may be optimally used in a clinical setting. Comprehensive and cutting-edge, Cardiac Markers, Second Edition offers physicians a complete guide to the use of cardiac markers in clinical practice and clinical laboratorians a close-up view of the new markers now becoming standard.

The Scientification of Gastroenterology During the 20th Century * Science contributes to medicine in three ways: It provides a body of relatively secure knowl- edge. Some of that knowledge has been applied to develop technologies which have had a major impact upon the practice and effectiveness of medicine. Last, science offers to medicine a way of thinking. - 1. McCormick [(1993) The Contribution of Science to Medicine. Perspect. Bioi. Med. 16,315.] Awareness of the digestive system began with the dawn of civilization, when man, observing the feeding habits of animals in the surrounding environment, experimented with foods, edible and inedible. Identity came with discoveries of the digestive organs during the 16th and 17th centuries. Function was revealed by physiologic studies of digestion, absorp- tion and secretion, metabolism, and motility during the 18th and 19th centuries. Diagnostic access improved with the technological advances of the 20th century. Understanding of gas- trointestinal (GI) disease followed the growth of the basic sciences and gastroenterology's involvement in scientific research during the latter half of the 20th century. Early in the 20th century, gastroenterology was yet an undefined activity without clinical or scientific guidelines. Diagnostic approach to the digestive tract was minimal. Valid con- cepts of disease were lacking. Visceroptosis, sitophobia, and "colonic autointoxication" were common "diagnoses." Therapeutic resources were scarce.

Most endocrine diseases can be treated successfully, and the patient's state of well-being can usually be improved. Not surprisingly, the earlier the diagnosis is made the more positive the clinical response. Early Diagnosis and Treatment (~f Endocrine Disorders focuses on early signs and symptoms of endocrine disorders and surveys the appropriate tests to document the diseases as well as current recommendations for therapy. Each chapterreviews the pathophysiology of the endocrine disease-important for understanding each disorder as well as the rationale for early therapy-and the basis for the early recognition and treatment of each condition. Although the practicing endocrinologist is likely to be quite knowledgeable regarding many of these diseases, Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Endocrine Disorders includes treatment of those conditions only recently classified as endocrine disorders, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, obesity, and hypogonadism. The book also provides new approaches that are urgently needed to slow the epidemic of type 2 diabetes, which should be an overriding concern for all clinicians. Until now, no other endocrinology text has focused primarily on the details of early recognition and therapy of endocrine disorders. The information in Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Endocrine Disorders is presented in an orderly and easy-to-follow manner, which should greatly facilitate the early recognition of endocrine diseases by medical students, house staff, primary care physicians, and endocrinologists, the four groups of clinical personnel to which this book is specificall y directed.

In the past five years, so much additional progress has been made in ourunderstanding of both the basic and c1inical aspects of a wide variety of thyroid disorders that a second edition of Diseases of the Thyroid was considered a necessary addition to the Contem- porary Endocrinology series. Fresh perspectives also seemed warranted, so we recruited new authors for many of the chapters and believe that this edition will provide the reader with further insights into the pathophysiology and c1inical presentation and treatment of thyroid disease. It inc1udes topics ranging from neonatal thyroid screening, thyroid dysfunction during infancy and childhood, peripartum thyroid disorders, thyroid disease in the elderly, and the c1inical relevance of the sodiurnliodide symporter (NIS) to the pathogenesis and treatment of nodular goiter, thyroid cancer, thyrotoxicosis, and hypothyroidism. The worldwide problem of iodine deficiency and its eradication is also discussed, along with environmental goitrogens and iodine-induced thyroid disease. I am indebted to all the contributors for their cooperation and expertise in providing their chapters in an extremely timely fashion, to Mr. Thomas Moore and Mr. Craig Adams from Humana Press for their expert assistance, and to Ms. Christine Archung for providing superb administrative assistance. Lewis E. Braverman, MD v CONTENTS Preface ...v Contributors ...ix Molecular Mechanisms of Nuclear Thyroid Hormone Action William W. Chin and Paul M. Yen ...1 2 Nongenomic Actions of Thyroid Hormone Paul 1. Davis and F aith B. Davis ...19 3 Thyroid Testing: A Clinical Approach Laurie A. Kane and Hossein Gharib ...

Essentials of Bedside Cardiology, Second Edition, like the first edition, is designed for those who wish to balance technological advances with increased personal skill in history taking and physical examination. It is important to teach physicians that all technologies now in use for diagnosing cardiovascular disorders, such as echocardiography, can have false positive and false negative results. It is not always wise to rely on these technologies alone; indeed, they may not even be available in some settings. Even when the full panoply of up-to-date techniques is at the physician's disposal, the patient may not be a good candidate for an echocardiogram, or the technician or reader may not be well qualified, or the equipment itself may be substandard. Technology must be combined with physical examination to decide what is true and what is false. The practice of expert history taking and physical examination returns the physician to the actual patient, where the physician can feel like a "real doctor" rather than a mere interpreter of laboratory data. Essentials of Bedside Cardiology, Second Edition, strives to teach and not simply to tell the facts, relying on three basic methods derived from the psychology of teaching and learning: 1. Explain the facts. 2. Use a question and answer format-the Socratic method. 3. Provide tricks or mnemonics to help the reader remember the facts.