[Preoperative Anesthetic Management of Patients with Co-existing Diseases: Preface and Comments].

Preoperative evaluation of patients scheduled for surgery is important for anesthesiologists. In this issue, preoperative anesthetic management of patients with co-existing diseases is discussed. Seven co-existing diseases are highlighted in each chapter. These are as follows; 1) hypertension and arrhythmia, 2) coronary artery disease, 3) collagen disease and other endocrine diseases, 4) diabetes mellitus, 5) bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis, 6) interstitial pneumonia and emphysema, and 7) coagulation disorders. According to recent guidelines, the precise preoperative control levels for these diseases including medication, adequate preoperative anesthetic management of these patients are reported by expert anesthesiologists in each field.