Ankylosing spondylitis, the third most common form of chronic arthritis, is a systemic rheumatic disorder characterized by inflam mation of the axial skeleton (spine and sacroiliac joints), and a host of systemic manifestations. With comprehensive care, the vast majority of patients can lead full, productive lives. However, management can succeed only with patient education and exercise. Recent communication from my co-editor, Carson Dick, serves to remind me that there are several unresol...

This is an exciting era in medicine and in science. Successive waves of advance in knowledge gather, break and recede uncovering fresh challenges and new opportunities. Each plays its part in eroding the tidemark of yesterday's ignorance. Many involved in the day-to-day management of patients, ill prepared and ill-equipped by the training which they received as under graduate students, find it difficult to retain contact with the advances in medical science and feel uncomfortable on the sh...

The development of immunisation has been one of the most striking features in the control of infectious disease in the twentieth century. This book takes into account the need for a simple, concise account of immunisation procedures not only in the UK and USA but also in other countries, and to this end a special chapter on immunisation in developing countries has been included. Following two introductory chapters, there are nine chapters on various diseases and the vaccines that have been...

IgG4-related disease is a new systemic disease that has only recently been identified and characterized. However, most clinical practitioners are not yet familiar with it and thus are likely to misdiagnose it. The purpose of this book is to raise awareness of this disease and its diagnostic pitfalls. A wealth of radiological and histopathological images helps clinicians to understand its characteristics in various organs as well as their clinical and basic medical backgrounds. All of the a...

Recent developments in basic science and clinical rheumatology make it appropriate at this time to create a volume devoted to the immunology of rheumatic diseases. The impact of molecular biology, gene cloning, and new technologies for establishing hybridomas and T-cell lines in the laboratory is now beginning to be felt in clinical medicine. There is a general air of excitement and a feeling that we stand on the threshold of a new era in molecular medicine and clinical science. It is this...

This book offers a detailed review of the pathological and imaging features, diagnosis and treatment of IgG4-Related Kidney Disease (IgG4-RKD). IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), which is characterized by an elevated serum IgG4 level and infiltration of systemic organs by IgG4 positive plasma cells, is a newly recognized systemic disease. Diverse renal manifestations including specific tubulointerstitial nephritis, membranous nephropathy, and tumor-like urological diseases extending to the pe...

A trustworthy clinical companion, the textbook offers best practice and management strategies for these common joint diseases. Formerly published as Osteoarthritis, the extensively revised third edition of the Oxford Textbook of Osteoarthritis and Crystal Arthropathy provides up-to-date and evidence-based guidance on how to assess, diagnose, and manage patients. A prestigious and international author team ensure information is expert and relevant-this is a practical tool for clinicians man...

This book provides detailed information on the nosology, pathology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of fibro-inflammatory disorders, rare diseases that often display systemic organ involvement. Among the conditions considered are IgG4-related disease, sclerosing cholangitis, Hashimoto’s and Riedel’s thyroiditis, retroperitoneal fibrosis/chronic periaortitis, mediastinal fibrosis, Erdheim-Chester disease, gadolinium-induced fibrosis, and sclerosing mesenteritis....

This book, written by very well known opinion leaders in the field, covers all aspects of familial Mediterranean fever, the most common monogenic autoinflammatory disease. The opening chapters explain the genetic basis of the disease and provide insights into the pathogenesis derived from recent experimental studies. A large part of the book is then devoted to a detailed description of the typical and atypical clinical presentations, the disease course, and potential complications in both ...

Atlas of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Anatomy provides an essential grounding in normal ultrasound anatomy, enabling the reader to assess whether anatomy is disrupted through injury or disease. The book is structured systematically, with all commonly imaged areas illustrated by high quality ultrasound scans with accompanying concise descriptive text. Features of the second edition: • Over 100 individual anatomical descriptions • Numerous new images from the latest generation ultrasound machi...

Mathematical models are increasingly being used to examine questions in infectious disease control. Applications include predicting the impact of vaccination strategies against common infections and determining optimal control strategies against HIV and pandemic influenza. This book introduces individuals interested in infectious diseases to this exciting and expanding area. The mathematical level of the book is kept as simple as possible, which makes the book accessible to those who have ...

Osteoarthritis: The Facts helps patients and their carers better understand the condition, empowering patients with the knowledge and skills to actively take charge of their own health by knowing as much as they can about osteoarthritis, and finding out how this can be best managed. Part 1 details what osteoarthritis is, what causes it, who it affects, what the main symptoms are, how it is diagnosed, and what the long-term outcome is. Part 2 explains the potential aspects of manag...