Book Review Published in Fertility and Sterility

Volume 92, Issue 4, Page 1499 (October 2009)

IT READ:

Albert Altchek and Liane Deligdisch, editors.

Pediatric,Adolescent and Young Adult Gynecology.

Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. $249.95.

This book is a fully comprehensive textbook on the subject of pediatric, adolescent, and young adult gynecology. Each of the chapters is written by contributors with expertise in that field. Most are physicians, but contributors also include a retired judge and many Ph.D.’s. The authors often offer their advice gathered from many years of caring for this patient population. Many textbooks on pediatric and adolescent gynecology do not include information that specifically addresses issues in the young adult patient. This book includes chapters devoted to the gynecologic care of these patients.  There are 52 chapters comprising 500 pages, and all are easy to read and comprehend. Not only are medical issues addressed and the pathophysiology of the disorders described, but the psychological and social implications are presented as well. The order of the textbook is chronological, beginning with the newborn exam and abnormalities of the newborn such as ambiguous genitalia. Common pediatric gynecologic complaints are then addressed. These include vulvovaginitis in the child, prepubertal vaginal bleeding, trauma, sexual abuse, and ovarian cysts. Androgen insensitivity and gonadal dysgenesis are combined into a single chapter that discusses not only the diagnosis and treatment but also the counseling and psychological treatment unique to these patients and their families.  Transition is made to the care of the adolescent, first focusing on sexuality and the psychological aspects of the developing adolescent and of the adolescent at her different stages of development. Puberty and pubertal disorders are then addressed. Chapters in common problems in the adolescent including dysmenorrhea, pelvic pain, contraception, bleeding disorders, abnormalities in menstruation, and breast disorders are presented. Congenital anomalies and laparoscopy are fully addressed and pictorially represented. Sexually transmitted infections, endometrial and ovarian pathology, and gynecologic cancers are discussed. Chapters discussing disorders that describe pathophysiology include flow charts depicting how the disorder progresses. An excellent example of this is found in the chapter entitled ‘‘The Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.’’  There are chapters on each of the following topics: imaging, preservation of fertility, law and medicine, and minors’ rights. The book closes with a historical perspective of pediatric and adolescent gynecology in the United States and a history of the International Federation of Infantile and Juvenile Gynecology. Both are interesting and address the need to further the education of adolescents and their care providers. 

As a fellowship-trained pediatric and adolescent gynecologist, I have found this textbook to be a complete resource on the subject. It joins other texts on pediatric and adolescent gynecology as useful references for both the generalist and the specialist alike. It adds the perspective of young adult issues, which has not been addressed previously. I highly recommend this text to those in training and those in practice who see any pediatric, adolescent, or young adult women. 

Andrea L. Zuckerman, M.D.

Assistant Professor Obstetrics and Gynecology and

Pediatrics Chief, Division of General Obstetrics and

Gynecology and Pediatrics Tufts Medical Center Boston,

Massachusetts