BOOK REVIEW

Comprising two volumes and more than 1,500 pages, Copeland and Afshari’s Principles and Practice of Cornea is a serious, comprehensive work that covers every aspect of the cornea – from basic structure and function to autologous ex vivo cultivated limbal epithelial transplantation and everything in-between. Published by Jaypee Highlights, this monumental work is divided into 19 sections, accompanied by three interactive DVD-ROMs featuring 22 surgical videos. Sections 1 and 2 cover the basic science and examination techniques of the cornea, including confocal and specular microscopy, and finishing with a chapter on cornea biomechanics. Section 3 discusses the epidemiology of blinding corneal disease, primarily in the Third World.

Moving on to clinical topics, Sections 4 through 8 thoroughly cover infectious, immunologic, ocular surface, metabolic and congenital, and dysplastic and malignant disease, respectively. Each section is organised under broad sub-headings such as “Corneal Microbiology†and “Interstitial Keratitis,†allowing the reader to easily find the correct section based on interest or clinical findings. Once the correct topic has been found, the text is organised logically, progressing from etiology and pathogenesis to clinical findings, diagnosis and treatment.

Particularly useful and interesting is “Trauma,†the subject of Section 9. Practising trauma surgery is difficult because of its great variety and unpredictability. In essence, an ophthalmologist must be lucky to have had several opportunities to practise it during his or her training. And yet, because it can occur at any moment and constitutes a medical emergency requiring rapid care by the first available ophthalmologist, operating a traumatically damaged anterior segment is something each eye doctor needs to be able to do competently. So, preparing for this inevitable occurrence is crucial, and this text gives a good overview of how to get started on trauma repair.

Volume 1 finishes up with sections on corneal dystrophies and degenerations (10); conjunctival and corneal manifestations of dietary deficiencies (11); contact lenses (12); and a section on “Emerging Innovation,†(13). This last section covers “Gene Therapy in the Cornea†and “Biosynthetic Alternatives to Human Donor Tissue.â€

Volume 2 is devoted primarily to surgery of the cornea and other ocular surface structures. Starting with a history of corneal surgery (Section 14) dating back to the Greek physician Galen (130-200 A.D.), who first suggested restoring the clarity of an opaque cornea, the text quickly moves on to in-depth discussions of tissue adhesives, conjunctival flaps, and scleral transplantation in Section 15.

Section 16, “Ocular Surface Rehabilitation,†is the longest section of the text. The term “rehabilitation†is interpreted very broadly: it includes obvious topics such as pterygium surgery, amniotic membrane transplantation and limbal stem cell transplantation, but also the entire domain of keratoplasty.

Section 17 discusses the femtosecond laser while Section 18 is an extensive guide to corneal instrumentation. The final section comprises step-by-step guidelines for 26 surgical procedures.

This large text comprehensively covers the whole spectrum of “Corneaâ€, and is as such primarily appropriate for those interested in specialising in corneal disease, whether as a treating physician or a clinical researcher. This might include cornea fellows; general ophthalmologists expected to diagnose and treat a wide range of pathology; corneal subspecialists who are looking for an all-in-one update on the current state of the art, as described by their colleagues worldwide; and doctoral candidates conducting research on the cornea who need to be well-versed in all aspects of corneal problems and their treatment.