This is an excellent textbook produced by two salivary gland surgeons of international reputation. It is the first textbook that I have encountered that deals with the subject of salivary gland disease separately, as opposed to part of head and neck surgery in general.
Sections cover the anatomy, physiological disorders and both benign and malignant disease as expected. However, comprehensive sections on paediatric salivary gland disease and more recent developments in the field such as facial reanimation, metastatic disease, skin malignancy and even gland transplantation are included.
Both surgical and non-surgical techniques for salivary disease are covered and so the book is useful for radiology teams too. Evidence-based algorithms for the treatment of various conditions are welcome. I particularly found the sections on recurrent disease useful, as well as the sections on surgical approaches.
The text is interposed with full colour figures, diagrams and photographs to Thieme’s usual high standard. A wealth of radiology images provides a good resource for pattern recognition and disease staging in clinics and multidisciplinary team meetings. Each page is filled with ‘exclamation boxes’ of important takeaway points for ‘at a glance’ readers. The authors’ style though does make the topics accessible to all levels of training with useful references at the end of each chapter for follow-up revision or research. All that is really missing is a DVD demonstrating live operating (with commentary) and the various interventional procedures that surgeons rarely get to see.
The price is both competitive when compared to similar texts on head and neck surgery and is inevitably cheaper from various online outlets. Any department providing a salivary disease service should invest in a copy as a training resource for juniors and a reference guide for consultants.
