Monthly Archives: May 2009

W. Morrison and T. Sanders, eds. Mosby; 2008, 788 pages, $149.00.

Conventional musculoskeletal radiology textbooks have traditionally been organized according to either disease category or body part, focusing on the imaging appearance of the entities presented. The end result has, at times, been ex­haustive, yielding texts that are easily referenced but hard to read.

The “Problem Solving” series addresses this issue from a different perspective. Authors are asked to describe their approach to common imaging dilemmas in a textbook that is intended to be read cover-to-cover and not only as a reference source. The ultimate goal is for readers to … Continue reading >>

G.G. Haddad and S.P. Yu, eds. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press; 2009, 343 pages, 47 illustrations, $159.00.

The stated intent of this multi-authored volume is to pro­vide a broad mechanistic foundation for understand­ing brain disorders attributable to oxygen dysregulation. The editors are highly accomplished investigators. Gabriel G. Haddad, MD, is a renowned specialist in pediatric respiratory medicine and is presently chair of pediatrics at the University of California San Diego and Rady Children’s Hospital. His published contributions are in normal and disordered respi­ratory physiology, hypoxia-mediated cell death and its signal­ing pathways, the effects of hypoxia on developing organ sys­tems, and physiologic … Continue reading >>

Roger N. Rosenberg, ed. Springer; 2009, 560 pages, 223 illustrations, $199.00.

For those who prefer a highly visual display and description of clinical neurology, this 560-page atlas would, at first glance, seem to be inviting; however, for those who would like to see an atlas with strong linkages between imaging and neurology, this text will be disappointing. Of course, it is fair to remember that this atlas was not designed with the neuroradiologist in mind; nonetheless, it is surprising that very little care was given to the selection of images, to the editing of images and legends, and to a … Continue reading >>

M. Filippi, guest ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders; 2008, Part I: pages 563–719, 66 figures; Part II: pages 1–132, 46 figures.

The introduction of MR imaging to the evaluation of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) has dramatically altered our understanding of the disease in recent decades, making it abundantly clear to researchers and clinicians that the pathogenesis of MS is much more complex than the simple plaque-centric theory, which previously dominated our thinking. Because of their improved sensitivity for detecting abnormalities in the brain and spinal cord over clinical assessment alone, conventional MR imaging techniques have become indispensable tools for initial … Continue reading >>

J. Klekamp and M. Samii, eds. Springer; 2007, 526 pages, 1862 illustrations, $389.00.

Neuroradiologists infrequently observe the intraoperative findings of patients whose imaging studies they have interpreted unless they are actively involved with intraoperative spinal sonography (which comprises a vanishing small number of radiologists). Now with this textbook, Surgery of Spinal Tumors, rich in color photographs from the operating room (OR), a glance into surgical correlations is possible. This, of course, is not a substitute for being in the OR and watching step-by-step tumor removal, but the book is, nonetheless, instructional.

The authors, both German neurosurgeons, have compiled their … Continue reading >>

A.P. Dhawan, H.K. Huang, D.-S. Kim, eds. World Scientific Publishing; 2008, 868 pages, $228.00.

At first glance at the cover and size of Principles and Advanced Methods in Medical Imaging and Image Analysis,a passerby might think that it is the latest Harry Potter novel; however, the gadgets and technology described in its text are far more complex than those seen in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The authors undertook the very difficult task of describing the principles of imaging such that the imaging novice could quickly move from the purpose of a particular technique to the mathematics, physics, … Continue reading >>

L.A. Loevner. Mosby Elsevier; 2008, 288 pages, $49.95.

Case-based review books are increasingly popular, explained by the recognized need to continually quiz oneself for Board Certification/Certificate of Added Qualifications/ Maintenance of Certification and because these books tend to be more fun than plowing through a textbook. To be effective, such a book must be challenging to all degrees of expertise—from resident to fellow to practicing neuroradiologist/attending level. Brain Imaging: Case Review Series written entirely by Laurie Loevner is constructed like others in this series in the past—straightforward cases (“Opening Round”) first, followed by increasingly challenging cases under “Fair Game and … Continue reading >>