The authors of this volume have put emphasis on diagnosis, so the presentation is generally concise, yet more comprehensive on key points. In addition, they emphasise diagnostically-important information on immunohistochemistry and molecular genetics, and include additional details when biologically significant. Site-specific soft tissue entities covered in the other atlases are often excluded due to space constraints. The text is aimed as a practical diagnostic aid for pathologists, cytopathologists and pathology trainees, but the authors hope that their clinical colleagues and others may also find it as a useful source of information on soft tissue tumours and tumour-like lesions.

In the years since the publication of the third edition, awareness of the remarkable morphologic diversity of thyroid carcinoma has notably expanded, and great advances have been made in unravelling the molecular genetic features of thyroid and parathyroid tumours. There has also been an increased interest in the use of the fine-needle aspiration technique for the diagnosis and management of thyroid tumours, and in the role of the pathologist in the operative handling of the hyperfunctioning parathyroid gland. This volume documents the most significant advances that have taken place since the previous edition, emphasising those with a practical application at the clinical level. The format remains similar to that of the previous versions, but the two thyroid and parathyroid editions have been merged into one, and most of the black and white images and photomicrographs have been replaced with colour. The authors include a number of the most recent references, but have not ignored the classic works in the field, many of which have descriptions, illustrations, and insights that cannot be bettered. This edition fulfils the original goal of this series, which is that of helping the pathologist diagnose and anticipate the behavior of the tumours and tumour-like lesions included in this publication.