- Email: [email protected]
Abdominal Ultrasound: Step by Step (Second Edition)
Ultrasound in Med. & Biol., Vol. 39, No. 3, p. 552, 2013 Copyright Ó 2013 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology Printed in the USA. All rights reserved 0301-5629/$ - see front matter
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2012.10.007
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Book Review ABDOMINAL ULTRASOUND: STEP BY STEP (SECOND EDITION) Berthold Block, Thieme, Stuttgart, Germany, 2012, 292 pages, 912 illustrations. ISBN number: 978-3-13-138362-4
First published in German in 2000, this text is now up to its fourth edition in German, and this edition is the second to be published in English. This title has been published in seven languages, which is a testament to its value. The book is designed as a self-study guide aimed at the beginner in abdominal ultrasound with the emphasis on the upper abdomen. Although most people learn practical ultrasound scanning in an apprenticeship model of training, having this type of book is invaluable as an aid. The book intentionally is brief in its first sections covering the theoretical basis of image generation. It addresses the basic elements of what controls to adjust and how best to use the transducer. The next sections are more comprehensive and systematically work through, in turn, the major blood vessels; liver; porta hepatis; gall bladder; pancreas; stomach, duodenum and diaphragm; spleen; kidneys; adrenal glands; and the bladder, prostate and uterus (there is little attention to gynecological aspects of anatomy or pathology). Each of these chapters is similar in construction, describing organ anatomy, particularly as displayed on ultrasound, and organ relationships. There is also clever and liberal use of ultrasound images with accompanying and clear schematic diagrams.
A few common pathologies are mentioned and illustrated in each chapter. In each section there are plenty of useful practical scanning tips, and key points are usefully highlighted in margin boxes. The text is kept concise and highly readable. The last two chapters are text-based lists of differential diagnoses of ultrasound appearances in each organ, followed by a checklist of what to look for in specific clinical situations. These last two chapters are good lists but are inherently limited by their nature, in that they are lists without illustrations. This limitation does not, however, detract from the main value of the text. This text is one of the best currently available for the purpose of helping the beginner through the learning phases of performing and interpreting an abdominal ultrasound examination in a practical and uncomplicated way. The reader should complement this text with one containing more comprehensive coverage of the principles of image generation (of which there are several high-quality versions available). It is a highly recommended benchtop text for those engaged in this process, whether they are in a medical or sonographer training environment. Melbourne, Australia
ROBERT N. GIBSON
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
552
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2012.10.007
d
Book Review ABDOMINAL ULTRASOUND: STEP BY STEP (SECOND EDITION) Berthold Block, Thieme, Stuttgart, Germany, 2012, 292 pages, 912 illustrations. ISBN number: 978-3-13-138362-4
First published in German in 2000, this text is now up to its fourth edition in German, and this edition is the second to be published in English. This title has been published in seven languages, which is a testament to its value. The book is designed as a self-study guide aimed at the beginner in abdominal ultrasound with the emphasis on the upper abdomen. Although most people learn practical ultrasound scanning in an apprenticeship model of training, having this type of book is invaluable as an aid. The book intentionally is brief in its first sections covering the theoretical basis of image generation. It addresses the basic elements of what controls to adjust and how best to use the transducer. The next sections are more comprehensive and systematically work through, in turn, the major blood vessels; liver; porta hepatis; gall bladder; pancreas; stomach, duodenum and diaphragm; spleen; kidneys; adrenal glands; and the bladder, prostate and uterus (there is little attention to gynecological aspects of anatomy or pathology). Each of these chapters is similar in construction, describing organ anatomy, particularly as displayed on ultrasound, and organ relationships. There is also clever and liberal use of ultrasound images with accompanying and clear schematic diagrams.
A few common pathologies are mentioned and illustrated in each chapter. In each section there are plenty of useful practical scanning tips, and key points are usefully highlighted in margin boxes. The text is kept concise and highly readable. The last two chapters are text-based lists of differential diagnoses of ultrasound appearances in each organ, followed by a checklist of what to look for in specific clinical situations. These last two chapters are good lists but are inherently limited by their nature, in that they are lists without illustrations. This limitation does not, however, detract from the main value of the text. This text is one of the best currently available for the purpose of helping the beginner through the learning phases of performing and interpreting an abdominal ultrasound examination in a practical and uncomplicated way. The reader should complement this text with one containing more comprehensive coverage of the principles of image generation (of which there are several high-quality versions available). It is a highly recommended benchtop text for those engaged in this process, whether they are in a medical or sonographer training environment. Melbourne, Australia
ROBERT N. GIBSON
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
552