Head and Neck Imaging, 5th Ed

The Bookshelf Atlas of Pulmonary Vascular Imaging Conrad Wittram. Thieme, New York, 2010, 176 pp., 359 figures, 24 illustration, hardcover, $99.95. This first edition of Atlas of Pulmonary Vascular Imaging contains a good source of pulmonary vascular anatomy and cases with emphasis on pathophysiology of the pulmonary vascular disease. The book is a good and easy read for radiology residents in general and pulmonary radiology fellows in particular. The book is also very useful for the pediatric radiologists and emergency radiologists given the variety of cases that are included in both the congenital and acute settings. The book has 12 sections and is introduced to the reader with anatomy and congenital anomalies and goes on to cover pulmonary artery embolism, aneurysms, in situ thrombosis, infection, vasculitides affecting pulmonary arteries, trauma scenarios, tumors, and systemic lung diseases affecting the pulmonary arteries. The book is very easy to follow and has variety of cases for a particular section. For example, the embolism section covers the characteristics of acute versus chronic pulmonary embolism signs on computed tomography with beautiful graphic illustrations and discussion of relevant ventilation and perfusion scintigraphy. There is description of pathophysiology of various etiologies of pulmonary emboli, including rare examples such as talc and silicone in easy-to-follow bullet format. In the tumor section, however, the metabolic characterization of thrombi and tumor with 18-fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography could use more detail. Later sections deal with systemic lung disease such as sarcoid, hepatopulmonary syndrome, sickle cell disease, pulmonary venoocclusive disease, pulmonary hemosiderosis, and others. Cardiac disease and pulmonary hypertension are briefly covered. Overall image quality is good; however, areas of chest radiographs could have been magnified to highlight the important findings. The book can serve as a quick reference to pulmonary vascular pathologies. Book: Contents: +++ Readability: ++++ Utility: +++ Overall evaluation: +++

Grading key: ++++ = excellent +++ = good ++ = fair + = poor

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Utility: Medical students: +++ Radiology residents: +++ General practice radiologists: ++++ Pulmonary radiologists: ++++

Vivek Manchanda, MD RADIA Inc. Everett, WA

Head and Neck Imaging, 5th Ed P. M. Som, H. D. Curtin, editors. Elsevier, 2011, 2948 pp, $439.00, hardcover. In the preface to the fifth edition of Head and Neck Imaging, Peter M. Som and Hugh D. Curtin say they attempted to produce ‘‘as complete a reference on the topics of head and neck imaging as possible.’’ While such a task may be daunting, at a length of 2948 pages, the authors have clearly put forth a valiant effort—and a largely successful one. The book is divided into 47 chapters spread over 8 sections: Midface and Sinonasal Cavities, Orbit and Visual Pathways, Central Skull Base, Temporal bone, Jaws and Temporomandibular Joints, Upper Aerodigestive Tract, Neck, and Molecular-Based Diagnosis, and Nonsurgical Treatment of Cancer. Each chapter is well-organized with innumerable computed tomography and magnetic resonance images, multiple histology and gross pathology photos, anatomy drawings, and multiple boxes and tables to summarize the information. Compared to the fourth edition, published in 2003, the authors have made some substantial changes that improve an already impressive reference. Perhaps the strongest new asset is the addition of color throughout book, which is particularly useful for the numerous pathology and histology pictures as well as the expanded positron emission tomography/computed tomography and anatomy sections. Multiple Frank Netter and Gray’s Anatomy drawings now supplement the well-annotated imaging atlases. I found the chapter on Imaging Based Intervention particularly helpful, with multiple schematics of biopsy techniques. Gone from the prior edition are most of the plain film images because their use is uncommon in the current practice of head and neck radiology. Another noticeable absence from the prior edition is an outline at the beginning of each chapter, though these may have been redundant given the extensive index. The fifth edition is also now associated with the new Expert Consult series from Elsevier. This new relationship has brought the entire text online, which is particularly advantageous because a 2-volume textbook weighing almost 22 pounds is not exactly portable for radiologists

Academic Radiology, Vol 19, No 8, August 2012

who practice at multiple sites. The ability to search the entire text and access images online is a definite bonus. I did, however, find the online content difficult to use via mobile devices. The completeness of the text is truly a double-edged sword. I have heard many people refer to this book as ‘‘the source’’ for head and neck radiology, with complete coverage of most topics. However, its massive size makes it impractical for most radiology trainees and practicing general radiologists. A more condensed version, perhaps as part of Elsevier’s High Yield Imaging series, would likely reach a larger audience. Nonetheless, the fifth edition of Som and Curtin’s Head and Neck Imaging remains an invaluable resource and an authoritative text in the field.

THE BOOKSHELF

Book: Overall: ++++ Content: ++++ Readability: +++ Utility: +++ Utility: Medical Students: + Radiology Residents: ++ Neuroradiology Fellows: ++++ General Practice Radiologists: +++ Subspecialist Radiologists: ++++

Nicholas D. Krause, MD University of Washington Seattle, WA

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