Fisher’s contact dermatitis

Rietschel, R L & Fowler, J F . Fisher’s contact dermatitis , 5th edition . Philadelphia : Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins , 2000 . 880 pp. $119 . ISBN 0-7817-2252-7 . It is always inspiring to contact dermatologists to see that a further edition of ‘Fisher’ has appeared. When I started my training in patch testing, it was the 2nd edition (1973) that guided me: a generation later, we have the 5th. The original 324 pages of the 1st edition (1967) have by now expanded to an encyclopaedic 862. Rietschel & Fowler have industriously updated and expanded the text, including the individual instructions for patients with common contact allergens, and the specifics of treatment of contact dermatitis. The familiar boxed summaries have sensibly been retained, as has the useful appendix listing patch-test allergens with their concentration and vehicle, sources of exposure, cross-reactions and comments. In spite of its size, its current authors have managed to keep it user-friendly. I can recommend this new edition strongly as an essential reference text to all those involved in this ever-fascinating area of dermatology. Richard J. G. Rycroft