Preface

The purpose of the Manual of Hematology is to provide a convenient and easily navigable précis of the pathogenetic, diagnostic, and therapeutic essentials of blood cell and coagulation protein disorders. This handbook is comprehensive and clearly organized and, at the same time, its portable size allows it to serve as a companion to the physician in the hospital or clinic. We have included chapters on the classifi cation of red cell, neutrophil, monocyte, platelet disorders, and diseases of coagulation proteins to provide a framework for considering the differential diagnosis of syndromes that are not readily apparent. We have incorporated numerous tables that include diagnostic and therapeutic information relevant to the diseases discussed.

Unlike the previous Manual, there are eight chapters on specifi c types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, rather than a single chapter encompassing all lymphomas. Chapters on hereditary and acquired thrombophilia and their management respond to the increased role hematologists have in diagnosing and managing this important mechanism of disease.

For many tables, reproduced here, the reader can fi nd explicit citations giving more detailed information for the Table entries in the 8^th edition of Williams Hematology. The chapter and page of the more detailed information in the 8^th edition of Williams Hematology is provided for easy crossreference.

Each chapter ends with an acknowledgment of the authors of the relevant chapter in the 8^th edition of Williams Hematology, including the chapter title and the page number. The publisher prints a caution in the Manual that admonishes readers to verify doses, routes, timing, and duration of administration and to check the contraindications and adverse effects of drugs used to treat the diseases described. The authors reemphasize that these often complex diseases require direct participation and close supervision of an experienced diagnostician and therapist. This oversight should be provided by a person who is able to individualize therapy depending on the nature of the expression of the primary hematological disease, the patients age, and the presence of coincidental medical conditions, among other factors.

The authors acknowledge the valuable assistance of Monica Gudea and Carolina Bump, at the University of California in San Diego, Susan Madden at the University of Utah, Petra Speek at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and, notably, Susan Daley at the University of Rochester who managed all administrative requirements in the preparation of the Manual.

We also acknowledge the encouragement and support of James F. Shanahan, Editor-in-Chief, Internal Medicine, and Harriet Lebowitz, our editor, both at McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing. Jennifer Bernstein provided the copyediting of the manuscript.