- Email: [email protected]
A colour atlas of nuclear cardiology
104
catheter diagnosis of Ebstein’s anomaly through to references for LEOPARD syndrome. Convenient? Yes. A good index, definitely pocketsized (although one would notice it in a jacket) and the ring-binder format means it can be conveniently kept open at whichever section one wishes. If one had to find a criticism or two it would be that for the British market, discussion of pharmacological intervention can be restricted or inappropriate because of reduced availability of some medications in the USA, and to be really fussy, the references are listed more as a bibliography for each small section and not actually referenced within the text. Nevertheless, an excellent, handy pocket reference manual. Royal Devon & Exeter Hosp. Exeter, UK
Dr. L.D.R. Smith
Techniques and Applications in Interventional Cardiology D.L. Kulick and S.H. Rahimtoola Mosby Year-Book, St. Louis, MO, 1992; 527 pp.; 245; ISBN o-8151-7048-3 This is a book which will have difficulty in finding a readership. Its field is too large since, as well as cardiology, it discusses renal and peripheral angioplasty which, in Europe at least, is within the sphere of radiologists. It also encompasses cardiac pacing and intervention for arrhythmias which are now less frequently used within the field of those performing angioplasty. Covering such a diverse field including valvuloplasty, angioplasty, angoscopy, stents, laser therapy, pericardiocentesis and removal of foreign bodies, each section is unable to go into any depth, and some sections are already somewhat dated. Even on the front cover there are 4 pictures of the stages of a mitral valvuloplasty procedure using 2 Mansfield balloons. Surely the Inoue balloon has completely taken over as the balloon choice for this procedure? In the chapter on coronary angioplasty the Monorail technique is barely discussed except for branch stenoses. Some of the illustrations from tines, in this chapter are poor. The chapter on aortic valvuloplasty does not mention the tapered two sized pigtail balloon of Cribier which has made the technique simpler. There are, however, good chapters on peripheral angioplasty and methods to retrieve intra-vascular foreign bodies.
This book may be of some help to those starting specialised training in cardiology to show them the range of interventional coronary, vascular and pacing/ electrophysiological procedures. Groby Road Hosp. Leicester, UK
Dr. P. Hubner
A Colour Atlas of Nuclear Cardiology M.L. Goris and J. Bretille Chapman & Hall Medical, London, 1992; 328 pp.; g79.50: ISBN o-412-38950-9 This book is divided in 4 main components: the detection of coronary artery disease, non-ischaemic cardiomyopathies, vascular pathology and shunting and valvular disease. The detection of coronary artery disease includes basic data of SPECT, PET and planar imaging as well as the determination of single- and multi-vessel disease. In the basic chapter a schematic drawing of the heart with the different planes is missing. Thus a drawing would be very helpful for the reader. To judge the left ventricle it is essential to look to the endless loop and not only to figures which are generated by the computer. All the images are smoothed too much which is also the case for the volume curves. Imaging with the new technetium perfusion tracers is not addressed nor the issue of reinjection of thallium-201. The only example of a PET study is of a bad quality. The case studies are not integrated with the clinical data nor with the patient outcome. Therefore I believe this book is only of value for those physicians who want to understand all the figures which can be generated by the computers in the nuclear cardiology laboratory. For those who are more interested better books are available. Aberdeen Royal Infirmary Aberdeen, UK
Dr. S. Walton
Electrophysiology and Pharmacology of the Heart K.H. Dangman and D.S. Miura Marcel Dekker, New York, 1992; 756 pp.; $201.25; ISBN O-8247-8449-9 In contrast to some other multiauthored books, this one is well organized. Despite its subtitle “A clinical
catheter diagnosis of Ebstein’s anomaly through to references for LEOPARD syndrome. Convenient? Yes. A good index, definitely pocketsized (although one would notice it in a jacket) and the ring-binder format means it can be conveniently kept open at whichever section one wishes. If one had to find a criticism or two it would be that for the British market, discussion of pharmacological intervention can be restricted or inappropriate because of reduced availability of some medications in the USA, and to be really fussy, the references are listed more as a bibliography for each small section and not actually referenced within the text. Nevertheless, an excellent, handy pocket reference manual. Royal Devon & Exeter Hosp. Exeter, UK
Dr. L.D.R. Smith
Techniques and Applications in Interventional Cardiology D.L. Kulick and S.H. Rahimtoola Mosby Year-Book, St. Louis, MO, 1992; 527 pp.; 245; ISBN o-8151-7048-3 This is a book which will have difficulty in finding a readership. Its field is too large since, as well as cardiology, it discusses renal and peripheral angioplasty which, in Europe at least, is within the sphere of radiologists. It also encompasses cardiac pacing and intervention for arrhythmias which are now less frequently used within the field of those performing angioplasty. Covering such a diverse field including valvuloplasty, angioplasty, angoscopy, stents, laser therapy, pericardiocentesis and removal of foreign bodies, each section is unable to go into any depth, and some sections are already somewhat dated. Even on the front cover there are 4 pictures of the stages of a mitral valvuloplasty procedure using 2 Mansfield balloons. Surely the Inoue balloon has completely taken over as the balloon choice for this procedure? In the chapter on coronary angioplasty the Monorail technique is barely discussed except for branch stenoses. Some of the illustrations from tines, in this chapter are poor. The chapter on aortic valvuloplasty does not mention the tapered two sized pigtail balloon of Cribier which has made the technique simpler. There are, however, good chapters on peripheral angioplasty and methods to retrieve intra-vascular foreign bodies.
This book may be of some help to those starting specialised training in cardiology to show them the range of interventional coronary, vascular and pacing/ electrophysiological procedures. Groby Road Hosp. Leicester, UK
Dr. P. Hubner
A Colour Atlas of Nuclear Cardiology M.L. Goris and J. Bretille Chapman & Hall Medical, London, 1992; 328 pp.; g79.50: ISBN o-412-38950-9 This book is divided in 4 main components: the detection of coronary artery disease, non-ischaemic cardiomyopathies, vascular pathology and shunting and valvular disease. The detection of coronary artery disease includes basic data of SPECT, PET and planar imaging as well as the determination of single- and multi-vessel disease. In the basic chapter a schematic drawing of the heart with the different planes is missing. Thus a drawing would be very helpful for the reader. To judge the left ventricle it is essential to look to the endless loop and not only to figures which are generated by the computer. All the images are smoothed too much which is also the case for the volume curves. Imaging with the new technetium perfusion tracers is not addressed nor the issue of reinjection of thallium-201. The only example of a PET study is of a bad quality. The case studies are not integrated with the clinical data nor with the patient outcome. Therefore I believe this book is only of value for those physicians who want to understand all the figures which can be generated by the computers in the nuclear cardiology laboratory. For those who are more interested better books are available. Aberdeen Royal Infirmary Aberdeen, UK
Dr. S. Walton
Electrophysiology and Pharmacology of the Heart K.H. Dangman and D.S. Miura Marcel Dekker, New York, 1992; 756 pp.; $201.25; ISBN O-8247-8449-9 In contrast to some other multiauthored books, this one is well organized. Despite its subtitle “A clinical