Book reviews on fluorescein angiography and pentacam topography

While I was a research fellow in New York, struggling to generate any useful data using the retinal function imager, my mentor encouraged me by telling an interesting story about the random nature of scientific publishing.

“The first article to describe the technique of fluorescein angiography was initially rejected by all the major ophthalmology journals,” he said. Fluorescein angiography has, of course, since become indispensable to ophthalmology, and has allowed the medical retina subspecialty to become a vast and interesting field.

Practical Handbook of Fluorescein Angiography (Jaypee), by Bruno Lumbroso and Marco Rispoli, takes us back to the very basics. The foreword is forceful: “The author systematically follows a rational method to interpret medical ophthalmological imaging. Accurate analysis comes before synthesis deduction and diagnosis. Diagnosis is the product of logical processes.”

The handbook starts with the usual suspects: a review of retinal anatomy and fluorescein angiography of the normal retina. It then becomes more interesting. The authors devote entire chapters to abnormal hyperfluorescence, hypofluorescence, and abnormalities in circulation time. The book also includes in-depth methodical syntheses of the results obtained from each available imaging modality.

A description of the major fluorescein angiography syndromes doesn’t start until the second half of the book, where they are presented with large and detailed images. This book is recommended for ophthalmology residents, retina fellows and general ophthalmologists.

CORNEAL IMAGING

Moving to the anterior pole of the eye, Step by Step: Reading Pentacam Topography (Basics and Case Study Series), from Mazen M Sinjab (Jaypee), covers the basics of corneal imaging.

Considering the increasing emphasis on precise refractive outcomes after cataract surgery, attention to corneal topography is essential. This book should help the reader develop a systematic method of interpreting imaging for basic cases.

Starting with an introduction to the various types of devices available (curvature-based; elevation-based) and the typical features of ectatic corneal disorders, the manual progresses to an explanation of the steps taken to read a corneal tomography. The book then outlines the clinical approach to the candidate for refractive surgery, with “rules and recommendations”.

By the end of the book, the reader should be able to tackle the six case studies with confidence, making this publication ideal for residents and those ophthalmologists interested in taking the step from basic surgical procedures to those aiming for refractive perfection.