Neuropathology [antikvár]

Preface In medical teaching, a great deal of material must be presented in a relatively brief period. Instructors of medical sciences are therefore compelled to decide which material is essential to an effective classroom or laboratory presentation and which material should be discussed only if time allows. Of course, instructors always hope that students will be so inspired by classroom discussion that they will strive to learn related material on their own. Such a system, however, often leaves students with a vague sense of what they are ultimately responsible for knowing and often leaves instructors with an annoying feeling that something essential has been omitted. Neuropathology: A Summary for Students was originally designed as a manual to help pathology students organize information—regardless of how much course time was devoted to discussion—and to summarize what students should know by the end of the course. When our students and residents expressed their appreciation for such a manual and our colleagues began to acknowledge its value as a teaching aid, we decided to make Neuropathology available as a textbook to serve as a guide for medical students studying pathology and for residents in pathology, surgery, medicine, and neuroscience. Unfortunately, in writing both the original manual and the book, we were faced with the impossible task of covering neuropathology's infinite aspects. Accepting our time and space limitations, we endeavored to develop a thorough yet concise text. We selected the typical format of pathology—categorization by pathologic reactions—but added material often not included in pathology texts. We have emphasized biology rather than diagnostic pathology in order to provide a more practical foundation at a basic level only. Because the infant and neonate are one end of the human spectrum and not a separate species, a modest amount of pediatric material has been included. Emphasis has been placed on the pathologic correlates rather than on the fundamental study of morphology. Many of the topics outlined are those that have repeatedly arisen for discussion with medical students and medical, surgical, and neuroscience residents. We sincerely hope that students and instructors in the neuropathology community will find our approach valuable and will use this book to help meet their needs. Richard W. Leech, M.D. Robert M. Shuman, M.D.