New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 6, Issue 353 -- Is a textbook on the pediatric retina necessary? The answer is yes. To adapt a mantra from general pediatrics, infant eyes are not simply small adult eyes. This book conveys that idea beautifully, from the chapters on embryology, with the accompanying clinical correlations with disordered development,to the final section on visual rehabilitation by the internationally respected pediatric specialist in lowvision Lea Hyvarinen. Far more than a surgical textbook, this book includes chapters by noted experts on such topics as genetic counseling, anesthesia in children, tumors, uveitis, and posterior pole imaging. There are important chapters on the clinical assessment and management of retinal diseases requiring surgery in infants and children. Many of these chapters are coauthored by two of the editors, Michael Trese and Antonio Capone, Jr., both of whom are pioneers in pediatric retinal surgery and have singular insights into special techniques for young eyes. The descriptions and images of surgical approaches will be invaluable to anyone who performs pediatric retinal surgery. Specialized instruments are pictured, with vendors listed, and excellent drawings depict the ocular entry sites for and uses of these instruments. The book ends with a bonus: the Appendixes. The first one contains a list of genes that cause retinal diseases, and this is followed by eight others dedicated to several retinal disorders that are illustrated in beautiful color photographs. Ophthalmology is a supremely visual field, in that it requires the physician?s direct sight, rather than hearing or touch, for diagnosis and treatment, including surgery. Arguably, retina is its most visual subspecialty. The editors conclude the book with a worthy tribute to their field, which will be of great value to medical students, residents, and practicing ophthalmologists. Among retinal specialists and pediatric ophthalmologists, this book is likely to become a classic. It will be most appreciated, however, by those few daring souls who combine these two fields to pursue this highly specialized, risky, and rewarding subsubspecialty, pediatric retina. Archives of Ophthalmology, Volume 124 -- The breadth and depth of Pediatric Retina will provide utility for pediatric ophthalmologists, retina specialists, or basic scientists with a particular interest in pediatric retinal disease. Hartnett and her associate editors should be credited with developing a state-of-the-art textbook that will facilitate understanding across basic science and clinical disciplines engaged in the study of pediatric retinal development and disorders. This text should encourage future translational research with real application to treatment of children with blinding disease.
