During the preparation of Acoustic Tumors, Volume I: Diagnosis. the members of the Otologic Medical Group, Los Angeles, saw their 1,000th patient with a n acoustic tumor. It. is doubtful that anyone else will ever be able to repeat this performance. The present volume analyzes the group's experience with 500 patients seen between 1968 and 1975 and updates and expands the first collected publication by the group. "Monograph 11: Acoustic Neuroma," Archives of 0tolaryngolog.v. December 1968. Twenty authors. all disciples of the Los Angeles Otologic Group, have produced 14 chapters dealing with the anatomic, pathologic. and clinical aspects of acoustic tumor diagnosis. Chapters vary greatly in the quality and depth of subject coverage. For example, 63 pages are devoted to a rather exhaustive and overly illustrated review of the gross and microscopic pathology of acoustic tumors, whereas only four pages are given to electronystagmography and caloric tcsting. Generally, the bibliographies are exhaustive and complete except for a rare chapter containing no hibl iogr;iphy. A more uniform, more useful, and possibly less expensive volume (this one costs $29.50 in contrast to $1 9.50 for Volume 11) would have resulted from tighter editorial control.
Much of the information presented has appeared in only slightly altered form in earlier journals; only minor statistical changes have been made since the 1977 journal puhlicat.ion of the chapter on auditory testing. Nevertheless, important information is brought together under one cover.
Despite the criticisms, this hook based upon a n unparalleled modern experience contains the most up-todate information on the diagnosis of acoustic tumors. Otolaryngologists, neurologists, and neurosurgeons will find it a n essential part of their libraries.