Preface
Medicine has always been in a state of evolution and today, more than ever, with the accelerated growth of scientific knowledge, patients are evaluated and treated by teams of physicians. The extensive body of knowledge and the major scientific and clinical advances in neurology and internal medicine are again drawing both specialties closer together. Whatever the subspecialty area of interest, the nature of modern clinical medicine calls for multidisciplinary collaborative efforts to better meet the needs of individual patients. The aim of these three volumes of the third series of the Handbook of Clinical Neurology is to integrate and provide a thorough framework of the core neurologic manifestations of a wide array of systemic disorders. Each chapter provides a critical appraisal and extensive background information regarding the variety of presentations of each disorder, the characteristic clinical course, the typical neurologic manifestations of each disease, and current therapeutic strategies. Comprehensive and updated references also bring forth valuable resources for further topical reading and research. Our intended audience includes experienced practitioners and residents in neurology, neurosurgery, and internal medicine, as well as other health care professionals in different subspecialties caring for these challenging patients. We have purposely divided these three volumes into chapters uniformly organized by organ system, which are further divided by specific conditions and disease categories. Volume I is dedicated to the neurologic aspects of cardiopulmonary diseases, renal disorders, and selective rheumatologic and musculoskeletal disorders. Volume II encompasses core neurologic aspects of gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary disorders, endocrinologic diseases, and a gamut of metabolic, nutritional and environmental conditions. Volume III concentrates on the neurologic aspects of hematologic and oncologic disorders, organ transplantation, infectious diseases, and tropical neurology. It also includes a miscellaneous group of disorders including neurodermatology, neurological complications of pregnancy, iatrogenic neurology, neuromuscular disorders in the intensive care setting, posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy and reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndromes, neuro-Behcet’s, complications of neuroimaging, neurotraumatology, and observations pertaining to neurology in the developing world. These volumes go beyond the scope of classic neurology and examine the neurologic manifestations of a wide range of medical conditions, spanning most areas of medicine, that neurologists, neurosurgeons, internists, and other specialists must diagnose and treat in everyday practice. We are hopeful that these three volumes will contribute to the best possible care of patients with these disorders, and that the readership will find the material informative, authoritative, reliable, and stimulating We are extremely grateful to all the contributors from across the globe, who by sharing their knowledge and expertise made these volumes possible. To bring to fruition a work of this magnitude requires a highly professional editorial effort, and for this we thank Linda Turner for her wonderful organizational skills and administrative expertise, and Mike Parkinson and the editorial staff at Elsevier for their unfailing dedication, professionalism, and expert assistance in the development and production of these three volumes. Jose´ Biller, MD Jose´ M. Ferro, MD
Medicine has always been in a state of evolution and today, more than ever, with the accelerated growth of scientific knowledge, patients are evaluated and treated by teams of physicians. The extensive body of knowledge and the major scientific and clinical advances in neurology and internal medicine are again drawing both specialties closer together. Whatever the subspecialty area of interest, the nature of modern clinical medicine calls for multidisciplinary collaborative efforts to better meet the needs of individual patients. The aim of these three volumes of the third series of the Handbook of Clinical Neurology is to integrate and provide a thorough framework of the core neurologic manifestations of a wide array of systemic disorders. Each chapter provides a critical appraisal and extensive background information regarding the variety of presentations of each disorder, the characteristic clinical course, the typical neurologic manifestations of each disease, and current therapeutic strategies. Comprehensive and updated references also bring forth valuable resources for further topical reading and research. Our intended audience includes experienced practitioners and residents in neurology, neurosurgery, and internal medicine, as well as other health care professionals in different subspecialties caring for these challenging patients. We have purposely divided these three volumes into chapters uniformly organized by organ system, which are further divided by specific conditions and disease categories. Volume I is dedicated to the neurologic aspects of cardiopulmonary diseases, renal disorders, and selective rheumatologic and musculoskeletal disorders. Volume II encompasses core neurologic aspects of gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary disorders, endocrinologic diseases, and a gamut of metabolic, nutritional and environmental conditions. Volume III concentrates on the neurologic aspects of hematologic and oncologic disorders, organ transplantation, infectious diseases, and tropical neurology. It also includes a miscellaneous group of disorders including neurodermatology, neurological complications of pregnancy, iatrogenic neurology, neuromuscular disorders in the intensive care setting, posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy and reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndromes, neuro-Behcet’s, complications of neuroimaging, neurotraumatology, and observations pertaining to neurology in the developing world. These volumes go beyond the scope of classic neurology and examine the neurologic manifestations of a wide range of medical conditions, spanning most areas of medicine, that neurologists, neurosurgeons, internists, and other specialists must diagnose and treat in everyday practice. We are hopeful that these three volumes will contribute to the best possible care of patients with these disorders, and that the readership will find the material informative, authoritative, reliable, and stimulating We are extremely grateful to all the contributors from across the globe, who by sharing their knowledge and expertise made these volumes possible. To bring to fruition a work of this magnitude requires a highly professional editorial effort, and for this we thank Linda Turner for her wonderful organizational skills and administrative expertise, and Mike Parkinson and the editorial staff at Elsevier for their unfailing dedication, professionalism, and expert assistance in the development and production of these three volumes. Jose´ Biller, MD Jose´ M. Ferro, MD
