Fifty-five years have passed since the first edition of Scott- Brown's Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery was published. Many otorhinolaryngologists have read at least one edition, committed it to memory and passed their specialist examinations because of it. All will have kept referring to it throughout their careers and remember it with affection. Looking back it is apparent that a radical change in structure and format has taken place every 15 to 20 years. It is 20 years since Alan Kerr made the last radical change with the publication of the 5th edition, 20 years that have seen an information technology explosion. The internet, on-line libraries, e-delivery of journals and increasingly books, computerised search engines, CD- ROMs, DVDs, digital photography; the list goes on. These technological advances have transformed medical educa- tion, influenced significantly the way the current genera- tion learns and the methods by which their competencies and knowledge are assessed. Certainly sufficient time has elapsed for Scott-Brown to evolve dramatically once more. This edition has been completely re-written. It bears little resemblance to its predecessors other than by title, and in its philosophy to provide a complete resume of the knowledge base that underpins modern ORL practice and which will guide clinicians in their everyday patient care for years to come. The number of chapters has almost doubled, with large topics dissected into more digestible parts. This reflects the expansion of our specialty such that it is now a group of subspecialties linked by the common thread, each concerned with, and committed to, the care of patients with disorders of the head and neck.
Our authors are the leading experts in their respective fields of interest and have been selected from all over the world. Almost all the text is illustrated in colour and it comes with its own CD-ROM, containing all the text and illustrations in an accessible and searchable form, with references linked to PubMed.