Book Reviews

Atlas of Ophthalmic Surgery Volume III. Strabismus and Glaucoma by Edward G. Buckley, Sharon Freedman and M. Bruce Shields, with Thomas G. Waldrop as Illustrator. Mosby, £81.

The illustrations in this Atlas comprise artists' drawings of the anatomy of the orbit of the eye and the extra-ocular muscular systems, and the aqueous drainage systems in relation to glaucoma. The illustrations are brilliant and leave no scope for doubt in the precision of manoeuvres required for the performance of strabismus and glaucoma sur­gery. The supporting text is concise and comprehensive.

Both sections in this 1st volume of an ongoing series follow the pattern of consideration of the surgical anatomy followed by the perfectly-illus­trated sequential aspects of all commonly-used procedures. Management of complications, a vital section, and laser surgery is encompassed within the volume, as are cryotherapy techniques and com­bined procedures for lens and glaucoma.

Appropriate references are given in each section. The volume is to be commended for its superb quality of text and illustrations.

0955-3681/95/060386 + 01 $12.00/0

Color Atlas of Scleritis by Peter G. Watson and Joseph M. Ortiz. Mosby-Wolfe, 1994, £52.

The purpose of an Atlas is to provide sufficient illustrations for the reader to be able to make diagnostic comparisons with the clinical problems. This compact volume certainly fulfils that criterion, it consists mainly of pictures in colour and many angiograms depicting the range of inflammatory conditions affecting sclera and episclera. Corneal involvement in scleral disease, underlying systemic disease in the form of rheumatoid arthritis of Wegener's granulomatosis, polyarteritis nodosa and the relapsing polychondritis are all covered. Apart from inflammatory conditions of the sclera infec­tions, granulomas and tumors are also illustrated.

The commentary is simple, and the supporting diagrams are helpful, and the reader will gain a thorough appreciation of the range of conditions affecting these often-neglected areas of ophthalmic pathology. When they occur the problems are either painful, serious or both. As a picture book the Atlas is extremely valuable but do not look in it for comprehensive bibliography, (3 references are cited at the beginning of the text), nor for therapeutic advice for that is not its purpose.

The quality of production is excellent and it is a most useful addition to ophthalmic texts.

© 1995 W.B. Saunders Company Umited