Customer Reviews

Smith's Recognizable Patterns Of Human Malformation Sixth Edition (Smith's Recognizable Patterns of Human Malformation)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a really outstanding clinical reference. It is of particular relevance to genetic counselors, pediatric specialists, dermatologists, and other clinicians who frequently encounter patients with congenital anomalies and uncommon syndromes. Although the clinical photos are in black and white (no color), they are well chosen to illustrate the features of the (many) syndromes discussed. I have seen several texts that cover roughly the same subject matter as Smith's Recognizable Patterns of Human Malformation; however, none are as comprehensive or nearly as easy to use. I expect this text will replace MEDLINE as my initial go-to reference when I need to get info regarding patients with uncommon congenital syndromes. This text would be a bargain at twice the price! I recommend it most highly

This is the best book about congenital malformations available for general pediatricians. It is highly accessible and fairly easy to use. It really helps one put together a differential diagnosis for children with dysmorphic features. The price makes it a bargain that should be in every general pediatric clinic.

I do have one suggested improvement: This book is perfect for conversion into a searchable CD-ROM so that one could simply key in the list of features and get back a list of possible syndromes ranked by likelihood.

UPDATE 2007: The latest edition continues the book's heritage of excellence.

This is the best book about congenital malformations available for general pediatricians. It is highly accessible and fairly easy to use. It really helps one put together a differential diagnosis for children with dysmorphic features. The price makes it a bargain that should be in every general pediatric clinic.

I do have one suggested improvement: This book is perfect for conversion into a searchable CD-ROM so that one could simply key in the list of features and get back a list of possible syndromes ranked by likelihood.

As a family practice physician this book was not part of the required reading for us. We had textbooks we were provided and the only time I ran across this text was when I rotated with a genetics specialist that counseled daily on children with syndroms and malformations. I ran across just enough situations like this in the 6 years of family medicine that I ordered one for me - not only is a great reference book, but humbling to read sections from - its not so amazing that there are such a dizzying number of malformations and syndromes that can go wrong in human development - it is amazing that it usually works perfectly. This book will keep a lot of perspective in view for docs like me that face barrages of complains about colds, zits, and back pains.

I am a neonatal nurse and have been using this book in successive editions for years and years and years. It's one of the few books that are easier to use than the internet when one admits a "funny looking kid" (I do not intend this to be a joke). The illustrations are so good that you can look at the book, then remember it when you admit a baby with a syndrome, perhaps years later. Another reviewer says he feels a sense of awe that, given that so much can go wrong, there are actually any healthy babies. I can relate to that! One of the things that can mitigate the recognition of a nasty set of congenital abnormalities is to be able to recognise them and name them, and have an idea about the aetiology and prognosis - it gives you back a bit of the power that you lost when you discovered the baby was abnormal - and that means you can help the parents.
Good stuff.

Nice guidebook to have to help you study cases of human malformation. Each syndrome comes with text information and corresponding pictures. The pictures help you relate a particular syndrome with actual patients. It also has an index which shows some of the more common dysmorphic features that you may see and lists the syndromes that usually present with these features. The only drawback is that the information about some syndromes are sometimes lacking, so you will need another reference to expound on these cases.

This a great book with fantastic illustration of genetic diseases, a must for all in the genetic field.

I am not a physician, nor a pediatrician, and the full explanation, the references, the completeness of the book, full of images, specific and general at the same time makes it one of the best books anyone interested in the subject can hope for. The explanations of the mechanisms are also concise and clear.

This is a totally new book. I purchased the fourth edition about 15 years ago. A long way has elapsed for medicine, pediatrics and genetics. This new edition incorporated all the new advances in the field of molecular genetics. Although the genetic syndromes are explained in the classic form, with Abnormalities, Natural History and Etiology, the recent advances in genomic medicine are fully explained for each genetic syndrome or disease. Also the pictures are now in color, they have always been great pictures but now with the color they bring much more to clarity and teaching. I like very much this book, not only because the depth and comprehensive review but because it is indeed a perfect picture of what has changed in the last years, and indeed, it is a new world, particularly in the field of genetics.
Dr. Ricardo Guraieb Ibarrola. Pediatrician. Mexico City

Smith's Recognizable Patterns Of Human Malformation has always been one of the best textbooks for those health professionals who study and work on diagnosis or research in dismorphology, mainly pediatricians, pathologists and geneticists. Its 6th edition is 100% improved regarding illustrations, with nice color pictures as well as updated references and new concepts. Indispensable.