ISBN: 960-7597-30-3

Συγγραφέας: John Meletis

Εκδόσεις: Nereus Publishers Ltd.

Athens 2009

FROM THE AUTHOR

Many years after the first publication of the CDROM "Atlas of Hematology", a CDROM "Hematology-Diagnostic Approach", sixth edition of the book "From the Hematological Finding to diagnosis" and the Greek edition of the book "Atlas of Hematology" the encouraging comments by senior and younger colleagues of diverse specialties, as well as by Med. students, promoted and encouraged me to improve my contribution. I am therefore publishing the English version of the "Atlas of Hematology" in with almost 4.000 colored pictures of micro¬scopic preparations, with special emphasis on the diagnostic and educational aspect.

As the Greeks say: "a picture counts for more than a thousand words". This is particularly the case in hematology, since familiarization and long-term observation of hemato-logical preparations is the base for a correct diagnostic approach. The observation of preparations is essential for hematology education. Each patient has "his own disease" and cellular morphology often varies considerably, depending on the case.

Really each preparation is accompanied by a brief text describ¬ing the basic objectives of the picture. The Atlas also includes several pictures of the same subject or disorder. Similarities in morphology give the reader a theoretical and practical access in the variability of hematological cytology. I am aware that several editions on illustrated Hematology can be found in the literature. In my opinion the present work gives the reader the possibility to observe many prepara¬tions of the same object which is not provided by other authors due to limited space and cost. The legends that accompany the pictures present the basic components of the nature of the cells and the morphologic criteria for their recognition. Pictures are sometimes of low quality, as opposed to the majority of books that include ideal pictures, after a certain "retouche". I have included these pictures since hematologists do not often observe "perfect" preparations in their daily routine practice. I therefore believe that the morphologist must become familiar with pictures of prepara¬tions without sufficient coating, rapid staining, low quality of staining, monochromatic staining, change of usual shade due to the absence of "standard" pH, cleaned coatings after immersion in xylose, remnants of the coating for a long time in oil, strong rinsing after pigmentation and many other accidental events, often unavoidable; the hematologist however is called to observe, diagnose, and take a rapid decision through such preparations. Moreover, as advised by my Mentors, the observation of slides such as these is compulsory for those who practice in "fighting" hematology.

A well known feature is that hematological diagnosis in the past was mainly based on observation, which is considered to be "the best school" for someone who aims at reaching a correct diagnosis, short and accurate. It was therefore my desire to share my experience through this atlas with the younger hematologists and to offer a more general and established practice.

In Medicine nowadays, particularly in hematological procedure, things have had a tendency to turn into a computerized process. The facility of performance of several, sometimes even compli¬cated laboratory tests and measurements, and the magic of automatic analyzers and computers, have a tendency to override more established and accurate "old" methods. However, the "magic" of diagnostic approach using information from the patient's history, clinical examination, evaluation of simple hema-tological and biochemical measurements and, particularly, the observation of blood and bone marrow slides, is very attractive and impressively interesting. It also remains necessary to achieve an objective and correct diagnosis. Likewise, this procedure contributes to the way of medical thinking, and the logical approach of a correct diagnosis through a step by step process, by using the evaluation of simple hematological parameters and observations. My effort finally aims at helping our younger colleagues, who are making efforts to move from theory to the practical approach of the hematological patient. Younger colleagues who find themselves alone and frequently self conscious when con¬fronting the patient for the first time, followed by a variety and sometimes useless examinations. Moreover, this approach cannot substitute the very important books of hematology but can be a useful tool for the rapid approach of clinical hematological problems in daily practice. Thus the thorough analysis of a hematological disorder has been replaced by brief proposals, tables, diagnostic tools and evaluation of clinical and laboratory data, aiming at a suitable diagnosis which is given concisely, almost telegraphically, thus leaving the reader an approach to the subject in extensive specialized books and articles. I believe that this Atlas will constitute a useful tool for young doctors and students of medicine and for everyone who deals with blood cytology. Our work would be impossible to be released without the laborious and long-lasting effort of the electronic transport and regularization of pictures by my son Christos Meletis, Electrician Engineer and Engineer in Computers. Our unending hours of collaboration and hard work for the composition and completion of this Atlas, has given us a good example of labor, effort, difficulties, pleasure, satisfaction and a final conquest that filled with joy not only of an Academic Teacher, but also of a new Scientist who tried to give his knowledge from the "birth of" a similar essay. This cheerful combination proves that the necessity for a collaboration between the "old" generation of hematologists/morphologists with the "new" generation of scientists of electronic and digital techniques, for the benefit of hematology and the transport of knowledge. Very much encouragement and assistance in my effort was given by my beloved colleagues and Friends, Nora Viniou, Kostas Konstantopoulos, John Rombos, Nikos Harhalakis, Vangelis Terpos, Stathis Papavassiliou, Voula Roussou, Filippos Deligiannis, Kostas Markakis, Stathis Vavourakis, George Androutsos, Ersi Voskaridou, Eleni Plata, Christos Poziopoulos, Michalis Samarkos, Renia Gialeraki, Maria Gavalaki, Georgia Kanellopoulou, Caterina Tsoukala, Helen Chandrinou, Lia Tsimberidou, Angelos Sarantopoulos, Effie Apostolidou, Veroniki Komninaka, Marina Mantzourani, Panagiotis Tsaftaridis, John Kakkas, Maria Tsironi, George Papanikolaou, Maria Angelopoulou, Stella Kokori, Marina Siakantari, Evelina Dimitriadou, Kostas Korovesis, Stergios Tassiopoulos, Kostas Anargyrou, Kostas Nodaros, Pericles Melas, Olga Benopoulou, George Koropoulis, Vaso Romanou, Anastasia Leivada, Argyro Papadogianni, Nagia Bombotsi, Anna Petropoulou, Eleni Goumakou, Argyris Tsantes, Elsa Campos, Eutyhia Mitilineou, Theodoros Vassilakopoulos, Antonis Antoniadis, Klio Chantziara, Thanasis Karagiannis, Telemachos Antoniou, Theocharis Sinifakoulis, Xanthoula Giakoumi, Aleka Petrou, Haris Floudas, Nikos Evaggelatos, Christina Kaipadaki, Stavroula Masouridi, Chara Galani, Sotiris Sachanas, Pantelis Tsirkinidis, Maria Moschogianni, George Boutzios, Dimitris Trafalis, Spyros Bouros, Christos Bomboris, George Andreopoulos, John Metaxas, John Asimakopoulos, Themis Ntalageorgos, Panagiotis Diamantopoulos, Katerina Katsandri, Titika Chatzileonida, Despina Mavrogianni, Vasiliki Kalotychou, Katerina Palyoniko, loanna Kourti, Soula Kapoti, Katerina Grammenou, Konstantinos Lilakos and Matina Hatzinikolaou who helped in the improvement and completeness of this publication, through their valuable comments. They repre¬sented the "other side", the people this Atlas was written for, and I would like to kindly thank them. ! would also like to thank my dear colleagues Xenophon Yataganas, Eipi Kritikou-Griva, Heleni Variami, and Aphrodite Loutradi-Anagnostou who gave me material from their personal archive. Every time 1 like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to my Professors Phaedon Fessas, Dimitris Loukopoulos, George Eliopoulos and Xenophon Yataganas, who actually "placed" me into the magnificent world of blood cytology as well as to my Professors and Friends Titika Mandalaki, Fotis Pavlatos, Phaedon Kaklamanis, Elias Fokas, George Stamatelos, Thomas Tassiopoulos and Anastasia Tassiopoulou to whom I owe my hematological and medical education in the First Department of Internal Medicine, University of Athens School of Medicine. !t is certain that without their presence in my medical career, it would not have been possible for me to achieve this work. Year-round I would particularly like to thank and express my immense love to Mrs. Maria Tsoga for the endless hours of collaboration spent for her fantastic work, help, support and moral reinforcement during the preparation of this Atlas. Without her precious help this effort would never have been completed.

Overall, I would like to express my thanks to the painter Mrs. Lilly Eleftheriou who gave me the special honor to paint the cover of this Atlas, thus giving to all of us the occasion to move, through our thought and imagination, from everyday routine to the attractive space of artistic enjoyment. Finally I would like to express all my respects and thanks to my Maitre Mr. Lucien Brown for his painstaking grammatical and linguistic corrections that would be impossible without his personal precious help.

Ultimately I would like to particularly thank all the personnel of "Nereus", Publications especially my good friend Vassilis Katoufas for his encouragement for releasing this publication as well as my dear daughter Rallou Meleti for their essential and precious help with inexhaustible ideas for artistic care in configuring the Atlas, devoting interminable effort and time.

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