Dian Donnai - Böcker

In few areas of medicine is progress more spectacular than in the field of prenatal diagnosis. New clinical techniques such as chorion villus sampling, detailed ultrasound scanning and cordocentesis are being evaluated by obstetricians, and refinement of biochemical testing is widening the scope of maternal serum screening. In the laboratory, dramatic advances in molecular biology are occurring: families at risk of genetic disease can be investigated with gene probes, and preimplantation diagnosis of the embryo is now becom­ ing a reality. These technical advances have important ethical and practical implications, among which will be a further increase in public expectations of the standards required of antenatal services. Clini­ cians will need a high degree of skill to inform healthy women about the options for screening normal pregnancies, and to counsel high-risk women about the benefits and limitations of prenatal diagnosis. Obstetricians, scientists and health service managers will face the difficult task of deciding how prenatal diagnosis can be made available to women in a caring and cost-effective way. Recognising the rapid progress in this field, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists made prenatal diagnosis the subject of its 23rd Study Group. An international panel of leading researchers, whose expertise ranged from molecular biology to philosophy, was invited to participate in a three day workshop, with time for in-depth discussion as well as the presentation of papers.

New Clinical Genetics continues to offer the most innovative case-based approach to investigation, diagnosis, and management in genomic medicine.New Clinical Genetics is used worldwide as a textbook for medical students, but also as an essential guide to the field for genetic counselors, physician assistants, clinical and nurse geneticists, and students studying healthcare courses allied to medicine. Readers love the integrated case-based approach which ties the science to real-life clinical scenarios to really aid understanding.Clinical genetics is a fast-moving field and there have been many advances in the few years since the previous edition was published. This 4th edition has been completely updated and revised to reflect new science, new techniques and new ways of thinking.Nowhere is this more clear than in the chapter discussing genetics services which is now significantly expanded to reflect the increasing role of genomic medicine and the use of multidisciplinary teams in the management of patients with genetic disorders.The unique case-based structure and format remains the same, but substantial new material has been added to cover:polygenic risk scores – now starting to become useful clinical service toolspreimplantation diagnosisnoninvasive prenatal diagnosiscompanion diagnostics for prescribed drugsliquid biopsies in cancerepigenetics and gene regulationthe widespread use of next-generation sequencing as a routine diagnostic toolthe checking of a patient’s whole exome for the cause of their problem