This issue of Cardiology Clinics, edited by Jae K. Oh, William Miranda, and Terrence D. Welch, will cover a broad range of topics related to Pericardial Disease. Subjects discussed include, but are not limited to: Anatomy and Physiology of the Pericardium; Imaging of the Pericardium, Acute and Recurrent Pericarditis; Tuberculous and Infectious Pericarditis; Pericardial Involvement in Systemic Diseases / Special Forms; Cardiac Tamponade; Constrictive Pericarditis; Effusive-constrictive Pericarditis; Surgical Management; Percutaneous Therapy in Pericardial Diseases; Congenital Abnormalities of the Pericardium, and Neoplastic Pericardial Disease.

In November 1986, I was invited to attend a symposium held in Barcelona on Diseases of the Pericardium. The course was directed by Dr. J. Soler-Soler, director of Cardiology at Hospital General Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona. During my brief but delightful visit to this institution, my appreciation of the depth and breadth of study into pericardial diseases, carried out by Dr. Soler and his group, grew into the conviction that these clinical investigators have accumulated a wealth of information concerning pericardial diseases, and that investigators and clinicians practicing in English speaking countries would greatly profit from ready access to the results of the clinical investiga tions into pericardial disease carried out in Barcelona. The proceedings of the Barcelona conference were published in a beauti fully executed volume in the Spanish language edited by Dr. Soler and pro duced by Ediciones Doyma. Because I believe that this work should be brought to the attention of the English speaking scientific and clinical com munities, I encouraged Dr. Soler to have the book translated into English. I knew that this task could be accomplished and that the book would be trans lated into good English without change of its content. My confidence was based upon a translation of my own book, The Pericardium, into Spanish undertaken by Dr. Permanyer, who is a contributor and co-editor of the pre sent volume.

This issue of Veterinary Clinics: Equine Practice, Guest Edited by Dr. Colin Schwarzwald and Dr. Katharyn Mitchell, in collaboration with Consulting Editor Dr. Thomas Divers, focuses on Clinical Cardiology. Article topics include: An overview of the equine heart in health and disease; Examination of horses with cardiac disease; Echocardiography; Electrocardiography; Cardiac arrhythmias; Congenital cardiac disease; Acquired valvular disease; Pericardial disease, myocardial disease, and great vessel abnormalities; CV causes of exercise intolerance and poor performance; Assessment of the CV system during prepurchase and insurance examinations; Monitoring of the CV system; Response to exercise and training; and Drugs used to treat cardiac disease.

From basic clinical facts to new advanced guidelines, Practical Cardiology, by Drs. Majid Maleki, Azin Alizadehasl, and Majid Haghjoo, is your new go-to resource for new developments in cardiology knowledge, imaging modalities, management techniques, and more. This step-by-step, practical reference is packed with tips and guidance ideal for residents, fellows, and clinicians in cardiology, as well as internal medicine, cardiac surgery, interventional cardiology, and pediatric cardiology. Features a wealth of information, including practical points from recently published guidelines, ECGs, hemodynamic traces of advanced imaging modalities in real patients, and much more. Offers a comprehensive review of cardiovascular medicine, from basic to advanced.

This issue of Cardiology Clinics, edited by Dr. Fernando Fleischman, will cover a broad range of topics related to Aortic Diseases. Subjects discussed include, but are not limited to: Diseases of the Aortic Root; Genetic Disorders and Indications for Intervention, Type A Dissections; Endovascular Treatment Options for the Aortic Arch; Treatment of Complex Thoracoabdominal Aortic Disease; Treatment of Abdominal Aortic Pathology; and Neuroprotection Strategies in Aortic Surgery, among others.

This issue of Cardiology Clinics, guest edited by Dr. Monika Jacquelina Leja, will focus on Cardio-Oncology. Topics include, but are not limited to, Anthracycline Cardiomyopathy in Cancer Patients, Common Vascular Toxicities of Cancer Therapies, Cardiotoxicity of Immune Therapy, 5 FU Related Cardiotoxicity, Trastuzumab Induced Cardiotoxicity, Echocardiography Imaging of Cardiotoxicity, MRI Imaging of Cardiotoxicity, Cardiomyopathy Prevention in Cancer Patients, Radiation Related Cardiovascular Disease, Electrophysiology in Cardio-Oncology, Cardiac Interventional Procedures in Cardio-Oncology Patients, Diagnosis and Treatment of Amyloid Related to Myeloid Dyscrasias, Carcinoid Heart Disease, Cardiac Tumors, Cardiovascular Toxicities in Pediatric Cancer Survivors, and Developing a Cardio-Oncology Practice Nuts and Bolts: Coding and Billing.

Many noteworthy advances in our knowledge of the pericardium, its functions and diseases and their relation to heart failure have been made since the first edition of this book appeared in 1981; and no other book that covers in detail the physiology and pathophysiology has since been published. The first edition was favourably received, and I have frequently been asked to write a new edition. My own knowledge in the years that have passed since then, and my clinical and research experience in the field of the subject have both increased. For all these reasons, I decided that the second edition was overdue. The long time that has elapsed between editions necessitated rewriting, rather than simply revising, most of the text. For the same reason, many of the figures are new. Most of the references I have cited appeared in the literature after 1981, but I have retained a number of earlier ones, either because they are classics or, in my opinion, have not yet been bettered. It is my hope that the new edition will be a useful resource for clinicians called upon to manage patients with pericardial disease and for physiologists when the pericardium is relevant to their investigations. I make no apology for the in-depth treatment of the pericardial physiology and pathophysiology throughout the book, for they are the foundation on which diagnosis, hemodynamic and imaging studies, and management must rest.