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The pancreas is the latest focus of the Curbside Consultation series. This clinically oriented series reviews 49 topics in a question-and-answer format. The book is written not only for gastroenterologists, but also for primary care physicians and trainees looking for a supplement to fine tune their management of pancreatic and biliary disease. The aim of this book is to provide concise answers to informal consultation questions frequently asked among colleagues.

This soft-cover, glossy-paged book is divided into 7 sections that cover pancreatic as well as some biliary disease: Acute Pancreatitis, Chronic Pancreatitis, Cystic Pancreatic Lesions, Pancreatic Cancer, Other Pancreatic Neoplasms, Biliary, and Miscellaneous (245 pages). Editors Drs Tenner, Brown, and Gress are well-known gastroenterologists with numerous publications focusing on pancreatic disease. For this publication they enlisted 25 co-authors who range from staff gastroenterologists or surgeons to GI fellows and medical students, but nearly all the answers are co-written with an editor allowing for a consistent presentation throughout. Examples of questions and thus chapters are: “When would you use antibiotics in acute pancreatitis, and which antibiotics would you use?” “What is the best approach to staging pancreatic cancer?” “What is the best approach to a cystic lesion in the tail versus head of the pancreas when the diagnosis cannot be clearly established?” and “When should a pancreatic duct stent be placed?” In each section, questions range from those relevant to a trainee or primary care physician to those that a practicing gastroenterologist may use to find a quick answer for the latest management strategies.

Summary tables and figures are listed for the vast majority of topics, which are particularly helpful to highlight the reading material. High-quality imaging studies are also included for virtually all subject matter along with both black-and-white and color histologic, pathologic, or endoscopic photographs when appropriate. Given the topic of the pancreas, extensive radiologic images including computed tomography, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and endoscopic ultrasound pictures are included in almost every chapter. The information provided is not meant to be a long or detailed analysis of the pathophysiology of each disease covered, but rather the depth of the material is ideal to answer the question posed with a focus on patient management. Some answers are 2 pages, whereas others are up to 6 pages. For example, the question “Is there a role of pancreatic enzymes to treat pain in patients with chronic pancreatitis?” has an answer just >2 pages long, including a meta-analysis review, whereas the question “When should one suspect autoimmune pancreatitis as a cause of acute or chronic pancreatitis” has an answer >5 pages long and includes sections on diagnosis, laboratory studies, imaging, and histology. Concise bibliographies of <10 references at the end of each question and answer session are well focused, allowing for easy referral if needed.

Reading this book in 1 sitting does reveal some overlap of material in the various sections. It is doubtful this will be an issue for most readers, who are likely to thumb to a topic based on a specific clinical question. Overall, the material reviewed is extremely accurate, up-to-date, and easy to read. Many of the responses to the clinically posed questions end in a summary paragraph that is a final combination of the literature's latest recommendation with the authors' personal opinion and interpretation of existing data.

Curbside Consultation of the Pancreas: 49 Clinical Questions does carve out its own niche as compared with existing books and texts on the pancreas. This is a book dedicated strictly to the clinical scenarios found by health care providers who treat patients with pancreatic disease. This text does not pretend to thoroughly explain the pathophysiology or basic science of the pancreas, but repeatedly is able, often in a case format, to simply and succinctly explain the common pancreatic diseases and how they are best diagnosed and managed.

Bottom Line: A well-recommended book to anyone looking for a user-friendly resource for pancreatic and biliary disease written in a practical and clinically oriented format. Moreover, the layout and wide use of images, charts, and tables make the book an enjoyable source of medical information that is sure to be used repeatedly in every day practice.