Pocket Guide to Eczema and Contact Dermatitis
By C Holden, L Ostlere. (Pp 112; £14.95) 2000. Oxford: Blackwell Science. ISBN 0 632 05663 0
This is one of several small well illustrated books on dermatology that have appeared during the past few years. Dermatology is a specialty that lends itself to good illustration and the photographs in this book are excellent. But how many different eczemas are there? For each a short paragraph of definition is provided, followed by a note on aetiology and then an illustrated summary of the clinical features. From the point of view of an occupational physician the section on contact dermatitis is very helpful. Patch testing is well described and the authors explain when it should not be done. This is an unusual feature. As a short book that you can page through rapidly this would be difficult to equal.
