Synopses & Reviews
Allergy is one of the major health problems of most modern societies. Although allergic diseases are well-known for almost two hundred years, their prevalence has increased dramatically over the last decades. Allergic reactions manifest in various organs, most commonly in the skin and mucous membranes, the frontier surfaces where the contact between the individual and the environment takes place. In a very concise and practical way this book covers all aspects of allergic reactions from pathophysiology to diagnosis, therapy and prevention with a strong focus on relevant aspects for the everyday work of the practising dermatologist and allergist in the hospital or office. This book reflects the rich personal experience of a German allergist with international training and reputation, who is active in immunology and allergy research and practice for almost 30 years. In this book, not only IgE-mediated allergic reactions are covered but all other kinds of allergies such as atopic eczema, contact dermatitis, drug eruptions, anaphylaxis and food allergies are equally represented as well as psychosomatic aspects and problems of environmental intolerances.
Review
From the reviews: "Since 1982, Johannes Ring's 'Angewandte Allerlogie' has been the gateway to the fascinating field of allergy for many medical students as well as practitioners. After a long interval, the author has decided to publish a third, substantially rewritten and extended version ... . Compared to the former editions, the design has been largely improved by a number of coloured graphics and instructive clinical photographs. ... this book can be strongly recommended, especially to students and clinicians who are interested in the field of clinical allergy." (Jürgen Grabbe, Archives of Dermatological Research, Issue 297, 2006) "Allergy is one of the major health problems of most modern societies. ... In a very concise and practical way this book covers all aspects of allergic reactions from pathophysiology to diagnosis, therapy and prevention with a strong focus on relevant aspects for the everyday work of the practicing dermatologist and allergist in the hospital and office. This book reflects the rich personal experience of a German allergist with international training and reputation, who is active in immunology and allergy research and practice ... ." (Journal of Investigational Allergology and Clinical Immunology, Vol. 15 (4), 2005)
Synopsis
Allergic diseases comprise conditions like anaphylactic shock, urticaria, angioedema, hay fever, allergic conjunctivitis, bronchial asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, serum sickness, allergic vasculitis, contact dermatitis, granulomatous reactions and the whole spectrum of adverse food and drug reactions. In a concise and practical way this book covers all aspects of allergic reactions from pathophysiology to diagnosis, therapy, and prevention with a strong focus on relevant aspects for the everyday work of the practicing dermatologist and allergist in the hospital or office. In this book, not only IgE-mediated allergic reactions are covered, but all other kinds of allergies like hematologic cytopenias, atopic eczema, contact dermatitis, drug eruptions, anaphylaxis and food allergy are equally represented as well as psychosomatic aspects and the problem of environmental intolerances.
Table of Contents
Clinical manifestation and classification of allergic diseases: History.- Clinical aspects and definition of allergy.- Classification of allergic diseases. Pathophysiology of allergy: The immune response.- Antibodies.- IgE-mediated reaction.- Cytotoxic reactions.- Immune complex reactions.- Cellular hypersensitivity.- Rare additional types of allergic reactions.- Pseudo-allergic reactions.- Mediators.- Synopsis. Genetics and environment in the development of allergy: Genetics of allergy.- Epidemiology of allergic diseases.- Allergy and environment.- Allergens. Diagnosis of allergy: History.- Skin tests.- In vitro tests.- Antibody detection and cellular tests.- Provocation tests.- Comparison of different diagnostic procedures. Allergic diseases (and differential diagnoses): Diseases with possible IgE association ("immediate-type").- Allergic diseases by cytotoxic reactions (Type II).- Allergic dieseases by immune complexes (Typ III).- Exogenous allergic alveolitis / hypersensitivity pneumonitis.- Eczema.- Photoallergy / Photosensitization.- Adverse drug reactions.- Granulomatous reactions (type V).- Stimulating / neutralizing hypersensitivity (type VI).- "Eco-Syndrome" ("Multiple Chemical Sensitivity" MCS). Therapy and prevention of allergies: General principles of allergy management.- Pharmacotherapy of allergic diseases.- Immunotherapy.- Unconventional procedures in allergy.- Allergy prevention. Allergy and the psyche: The problem of allergic personality.- Stress.- Psychologic influence on allergic reactions.- Psycho-neuro-allergology.- Classical disease manifestations with psychosomatic influence.- Therapy. Outlook into the future: Pathophysiology.- Clinical manifestation.- Diagnosis.- Therapy.- Controversies. Addendum.