McKee GT. (£130.00.) Oxford University Press, 2002. ISBN 0 19 514006 0.

• McKee GT. Cytopathology of the breast

Grace McKee’s recent publication provides an extremely comprehensive overview of breast entities. Although it is entitled “Cytopathology” it encompasses much more, providing clinical and histopathological details, in addition to cytological features of a very wide range of breast entities.

The initial chapters provide detailed discussions of normal breast histology and cytology, methods of aspiration, smear preparation, and laboratory techniques, including sections on the reporting of cytological specimens and the limitations of cytology. Although concentrating on fine needle aspiration biopsy material, exfoliative cytology of nipple secretions and ductal lavage specimens are also included. Subsequent chapters are organised such that entities are introduced with clinicopathological descriptions followed by gross, histological, then cytological features. For many entities this is followed by a summary of cytological findings. There are numerous photomicrographs of both histological and cytological features, which are of excellent quality, the discussions are detailed, and references are extensive. The very comprehensive nature of the text is perhaps a slight weakness, for even the numerous photographs cannot fully illustrate the features of some of the lesions discussed, and although the limitations of cytological diagnoses are described, it is not always clear whether the diagnosis of some entities from the cytological specimen is practically feasible.

The book is splendidly written and beautifully illustrated. In the context of the recent changes in breast diagnosis and the increased complexity of breast lesions, an in depth review of breast from the cytological and histological perspectives is timely. This book will be a useful reference text for those involved in diagnosing breast lesions by either cytology or histology, and may also be recommended to clinicians who take their own cytological breast specimens