This comprehensive yet practical text reviews the pathology of neoplastic and non-neoplastic conditions of the pleura and peritoneum, with a particular focus on mesothelioma. The anatomy and embryology of serous membranes are discussed, and the causes, epidemiology, and clinical and radiologic features of malignant mesothelioma are reviewed. A comprehensive review of immunostains used for diagnosing serous membrane lesions is given, current treatment options for patients are outlined. The markers of asbestos exposure and their significance are also assessed. The pathology of non-neoplastic conditions of serous membranes, from peritoneal cysts and endometriosis to deciduosis and gliomatosis peritonei are also covered, as are lymphomas and soft tissue tumors in serous membranes. This makes Practical Pathology of Serous Membranes an essential resource for effective diagnosis.

Focusing on practical, patient related issues, this volume provides the basic concepts of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) as they relate to Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and presents various practical applications. It includes EBM concepts for use in the identification of cost-effective panels of immunostains and other laboratory tests and for improvement of diagnostic accuracy based on the identification of selected diagnostic features for particular differential diagnosis. EBM concepts are also put forth for use in Meta-analysis to integrate the results of conflicting literature reports and use of novel analytical tools such as Bayesian belief networks, neural networks, multivariate statistics and decision tree analysis for the development of new diagnostic and prognostic models for the evaluation of patients. This volume will be of great value to pathologists who will benefit from the concepts being promoted by EBM, such as levels of evidence, use of Bayesian statistics to develop diagnostic and other rules and stronger reliance on "hard data" to support therapeutic and diagnostic modalities.

This book provides a comprehensive, up-to-date review of the pathology of the neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases that occur in the mediastinum. The pathologic and relevant clinical features are discussed, and detailed diagnostic criteria for various diseases are given, along with information about the most relevant laboratory tests. The features of thymomas, thymic carcinomas, neuroendocrine carcinomas and germ cell tumors are discussed in detail, including the utilization of immunostains and other ancillary tests in diagnosing these diseases. An algorithmic approach to the differential diagnosis of mediastinal lymphomas is given, and a novel clinico-pathologic classification helps readers diagnose and treat thymomas. Cardiac lesions, mesothelioma and other intrathoracic lesions are also reviewed. The book features more than 650 images, and downloadable copies of these are included on a CD-ROM, packaged with the print book. Pathology of the Mediastinum will be of interest to practising surgical pathologists, thoracic surgeons, oncologists and radiologists.