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The editor and publisher are extremely enthusiastic to offer a fourth edition of this book to physicians and others in the fields of dermatopathology, dermatology, and allied specialties. It is the express wish of the editors, contributors, and the publisher that the information compiled in this work greatly aids physicians and other health care workers in facilitating the best patient care possible. The editor is deeply appreciative of the prodigious work of the associate editors Neil Crowson, Cynthia Magro, Michael Piepkorn, Heinz Kutzner, and Garrett Desman and the many eminent contributors in producing an accessible and scholarly book.
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The fourth edition has been revised with the same goals as the previous editions—that is, to provide "descriptive histopathology and differential diagnosis, critical analysis, balanced perspectives on what is known and what is not, clarity of writing, the use of tables to summarize the key features of major entities, and color photomicrographs" and also to maintain a uniform style.
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In the course of revising the book, a significant effort has been made to improve the overall quality of photographs in the book. The latter has been accomplished by replacing the existing black and white and many color images, increasing the overall number of photographs, and finally including new clinical images. All chapters and the appendices have been superbly revised, and much new information has been included with respect to various inflammatory conditions, infections, melanocytic, lymphoid, vascular, and other neoplastic conditions. Two entirely new superlative chapters concerning disorders of the genital mucosa and tumors of the conjunctiva have been included. Newly described entities have been added to the book where appropriate, and many new color photomicrographs have been incorporated into the fourth edition.
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As before, I acknowledge the tremendous efforts of the many people involved in this fourth edition, without which it would not have been possible. I am especially indebted to all the contributors and to the staff at McGraw-Hill who have made the fourth edition a reality. I sincerely hope that the information contained in this book may contribute to improved and more enlightened patient care.
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