Hanley
& Belfus,
Philadelphia 2003
ISBN 1-56053-566-0
$31.95 147 pages |
Frequently
Overlooked Diagnoses
By
Mark A Marinella, MD
|
to
pdf >>
Review
by Vincent J Felitti, MD
|
There
are not many medical books that make good bedtime reading. This
book joins that small list by dealing interestingly and briefly
with unusual and captivating diagnoses that we are likely not to
think about, therefore not to consider, and hence not to recognize--particularly
in acutely ill patients. I found Dr Marinella's Frequently Overlooked
Diagnoses reminding me of the enjoyment I previously got out
of Bedside Medicine1 by the great Isidore Snapper,
or William Symmers' Exotica2 that Michael Bonin,
MD, San Diego Medical Center's erudite Chief of Pathology, recommended
to me. All are written informally and provide fast and interesting
reviews of interesting and unusual medical problems. They take us
to a magical world where all problems are purely biomedical, with
none of the somatization disorders that add chaos and complexity
to everyday practice. Here, everything has a clear history and an
understandable explanation. Under these conditions, who wouldn't
want to read four pages about nonconvulsive status epilepticus?
Who wouldn't want to enjoy reading a few pages about acute renal
infarction resembling the passage of a kidney stone?
Included
in the 25 chapters are: Acute mesenteric ischemia; Addisonian crisis;
aortoenteric fistula; myxedema coma; spontaneous dissection of the
carotid artery; tick paralysis; refeeding syndrome; thyroid storm;
and carotid sinus hypersensitivity.
This
is a highly readable little book that belongs on the nightstand
or to be carried for airplane reading. It is refreshing to read.
References
