Category Archives: Full Reviews

Morris, P. Practical Neuroangiography. Third Ed. Wolters Kluwer | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2013; 528 pgs.; $239.00.

While acknowledging that most of the important aspects of becoming a neurointerventionalist (manual skills and decision-making ability) come with experience, this book aims to give first-year neurointerventional fellows basic background knowledge essential to understanding all aspects of neurointerventional procedures. As the author, Dr. Morris, says in his preface, the information contained in this book is what he wished had been available at the start of his own fellowship. He is right. This book is a tour de force—a comprehensive, well written, and … Continue reading >>

Tsiouris AJ, Sanelli PC, Comunale JP. Case-Based Brain Imaging. Second Ed. Thieme; 2013; 704 pgs.; 1292 illustrations; $99.99.

This case-based book consists of 152 cases, each starting with a brief history. Then, images are provided with a detailed caption of the findings underneath. A diagnosis is given, followed by a brief but relevant differential diagnosis with specific reasons that those entities are less likely. An appropriately detailed discussion ensues, including an overview of the diagnosis, the typical clinical manifestations, findings on pathology (both gross and microscopic), and bulleted imaging findings on CT, MRI, and, if applicable, DSA. During this … Continue reading >>

Kassam AB, Gardner PA, eds. Endoscopic Approaches to the Skull Base. Karger; 2012; 238 pgs.; $268.

Endoscopic surgery has advanced considerably in the past decade, with many general surgery procedures now being more commonly performed endoscopically than through the so-called “open” technique. The role of endoscopy in the field of neurological surgery has been slower to evolve, primarily because anatomical constraints limit the size of the hardware that can be used, and thus the technology had to advance considerably from what is used in general surgery. In addition, the chief anatomical portal to the brain for endoscopic techniques, the … Continue reading >>

Hartl R, Korge A. Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery. Thieme; 2013; 508 pgs.; 711 illustrations; $159.99.

This text is a comprehensive review of the latest minimally invasive surgical spine techniques. It is edited by Hartl and Korge, two accomplished spine surgeons, and its authors include some of the pre-eminent neurosurgical and orthopedic spine surgeons of our time, who have pioneered many of the minimally invasive techniques covered in the text. The book is 5 chapters and 490 pages long, includes 711 illustrations and images and 35 cases reviews. The images include diagnostic films, intraoperative photos, and illustrations that are clear, … Continue reading >>

Walker TG, lead ed. Diagnostic Imaging: Interventional Procedures. Amirsys; 2012; 800 pgs.; $339.00.

The newest in a long line of remarkably successful Diagnostic Imaging textbooks by Amirsys is the recent (2013) publication Interventional Procedures. This book has 21 authors, 19 of whom are part of the Interventional Radiology staff at Massachusetts General Hospital.

This hardcover book, approximately 750 pages in length, follows a format familiar to virtually any practicing radiologist—bullet points, pertinent images, exquisite drawings, and complete coverage of the chapter’s topic. There are 7 sections in this book. The first is General Considerations, with two chapters—one on … Continue reading >>

Mehanna HM, Ang KK. Head and Neck Cancer Recurrence: Evidence-based, Multidisciplinary Management. First ed. Thieme; 2012; 316 pgs.; 358 illustrations; $199.99.

This book is written by two clinicians: Dr. Mehanna, who is a head and neck surgeon at the University Of Birmingham School Of Cancer Sciences, and Dr. Ang, who is a radiation oncologist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. As such, this is a book directed at clinicians. However, as imaging now plays such an important role in cancer surveillance, this book offers many salient points for any radiologist involved in imaging and following head … Continue reading >>

Robertson HJ, Piage JT, Bok JT, eds. Simulation in Radiology. Oxford University Press; 2012; 336 pgs.; $69.99.

Medical training has undergone a gradual transition by developing more rigorous methods for teaching all aspects of medical care from the physical exam to complex procedures. The traditional written examination assessment for medical knowledge works fairly well for information that is critical to know but did not assess skills that a physician needs to perform. Oral examinations sought to tease out some of these skills, as did clinical skill assessments using actors as patients. Volunteers for more complex procedures like colonoscopies, endoscopies, … Continue reading >>

Strominger NL, Demarest RJ, Laemle LB. Noback’s Human Nervous System: Structure and Function. 7th ed. Springer; 2012; 469 pgs.; 195 illustrations; $209.

This book, Noback’s Human Nervous System, aims to provide readers with a concise yet reasonably comprehensive review of the organization, structure, and function of the human nervous system.    Ambitious in its breadth of scope, the book covers a wide range of anatomic detail.  From the cellular biology of neurons and end organ receptors to the gross surface anatomy of the brain and spinal cord, the human nervous system is reviewed in 24 well written chapters.

While the emphasis … Continue reading >>

Mukherji SK, consulting ed. Hudgins P, Saindane A, guest eds. Head and Neck Cancer. Elsevier; February 2013. Neuroimaging Clinics of North America; vol. 23; no. 1; pgs. 1-182; $342.

As radiologists, the value we add with our interpretations lies not simply in our ability to see and report an abnormality: most any physician could correctly identify a large necrotic mass on a neck CT or a multilobe glioblastoma on a brain MRI. Rather, our value to clinicians derives from our ability to pick out those subtle but critical imaging findings which help to determine a patient’s diagnosis, prognosis, … Continue reading >>

Arenson RL, Garzio C. A Practical Guide to Leadership and Management in Academic Radiology. Charles C. Thomas Publisher LTD; 2012; 268 pgs.; $37.95.

This is an excellent introduction to management of an academic radiology department. Written by the chair and business manager of one of the top departments in the country, the text covers a wide range of topics one would confront in the position of chair. The authors provide sufficient detail for this book to be a handy reference on the job, as well as a quick read before getting started. There is less attention paid to the … Continue reading >>