Salivary Gland Disorders and Diseases: Diagnosis and Management

This hardback book of just over 500 pages is produced to the usual high standard by the Thieme Publishing Group.It consists of 46 chapters, arranged into 6 colour coded sections covering virtually all aspects of salivary gland disease, written by a predominantly British and European group of authors. The six sections cover: basic anatomy and evaluation; paediatric disorders; physiological disorders; benign salivary neoplasms; malignant neoplasms; and finally a miscellaneous section on a variety of topics including facial re-animation, quality of life, salivary gland transplantation and medico-legal issues. This book is a joy to read. It is extremely well illustrated with some very high quality clinical photos and diagrams. Each chapter ends with a ‘key points’ box which is always a handy summary. In addition, the text is punctuated throughout with boxes marked by an exclamation mark (!) delivering quality tips and highlights.The book is up-to-date, covering topics such as sialadenoscopy, the latest management of the drooling child, novel therapeutic modalities in malignant disease and the fascinating field of salivary gland transplantation.Chapters that mention surgical approaches to salivary gland disease carry sufficient detail to guide the trainee surgeon prior to participating in this type of surgery, and include very helpful sections on informed consent of the patient. Overall, this has to be considered one of the better Thieme books out there, with a breadth and depth of information that would satisfy not just trainees but also most consultants involved in the management of these conditions. I certainly use it as a regular reference point, and would recommend this book without hesitation.