Book Review: Urticaria and Angioedema edited by Malcolm Greaves and Allen Kaplan 484pp, 36 color plates.
Review by John Zic, M.D.

This book is a must for health care providers caring for patients with urticaria and angioedema. The editors, Greaves and Kaplan, achieve their objective of providing clinicians with “a clear guide to the diagnosis and management of this often perplexing group of diseases.” In addition, immunologists, cell biologists, and pharmacologists will find the chapters that attempt to unravel the complex biology underlying these diseases quite stimulating. The list of contributors includes several well-known experts in the field including Howard Maibach, Larry Millikan, and Nicholas Soter.

A relatively brief introductory chapter sets the stage with definitions and classifications of urticaria and angioedema. The next four chapters dive into the basic science of the critically important cells and chemical mediators that trigger urticaria and angioedema. Zhao and Schwartz should be commended on a well-organized and very detailed chapter exploring mast cells, basophils, histamine receptors, and mediators. In contrast, Chapter 4 provides a complicated overview of the entire complement system with only casual mention of its importance to the understanding of angioedema. The graphics for this section are, in general, good.

Chapter 6 begins the clinical section of the text providing a succinct overview of acute urticaria. Kim and Maibach decipher the intricacies of contact urticaria in what is probably the most definitive chapter ever written on the subject. Other chapters that would be especially useful to clinicians include: “Autoimmune chronic urticaria,” “Chronic urticaria,” “Principles of antihistamine management,” “Agents other than antihistaminics,”  and “New thoughts regarding idiopathic angioedema.” Overall there are sixteen chapters, over 300 pages, devoted to the diagnosis and management of the urticarial variants and angioedema. The intricate classifications and evidence-based work up and treatments are concisely presented in numerous tables throughout the text. Some overlap of clinical topics should have been edited.

Most of the 36 color plates are of good quality adding to the understanding of the concepts and are more useful than their black and white counterparts scattered throughout the text. Only one plate depicting eyelid angioedema should be discarded because of its poor quality.

In summary, Urticaria and Angioedema is a comprehensive up to date text devoted to the subject. It should be easily accessible in the offices of dermatologists, allergists and other clinicians who treat urticaria and angioedema. The many tables outlining etiologic factors, evaluation, and treatment of these diseases will become useful references. This text is definitely worth occupying precious shelf space.

Number ratings:

1. Organization – 3
2. Overall usefulness – 4
3. Suitable for intended audience – 3
4. Author’s objectives met – 3
5. Significant number of illustrations – 2
6. Quality of illustrations – 3

Overall Rating: Office Copy