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Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Today. By M. Fuchita. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2000. Price: Euro 186.05, $214.50.
Clinical Radiology (2002) 57: 237±238 doi:10.1053/crad.2001.0759, available online at http://www.idealibrary.com on
Book Reviews Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Today. By M. Fuchita. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2000. Price: Euro 186.05, $214.50. Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Today is a book detailing proceedings of the 12th International Congress of Dental Maxillofacial Radiology, which took place in Japan, 26 June±1 July, 1999. It is no doubt an accurate record of the proceedings. The book is in the format of a series of abstracts with an additional summary of each presentation. The topics covered are varied including radiation biology, physics of digital radiography, quality assessment and infection control. The clinical topics are discussed according to pathological and anatomical groupings. Many of the clinical papers are single case reports or short case series with a few larger studies also.
The title of the book re¯ects that it presents current (early 1999) research in oral and maxillofacial radiology. It is, however, not a complete or comprehensive guide to oral and maxillofacial radiology. As a radiology textbook it is disappointing, in that there is a minimal amount of images presented in the book. It could not be used as a study guide for anybody interested in familiarizing themselves with oral and maxillofacial radiology. The book would therefore not be of bene®t to any radiologist in training. The book is more likely to be of interest to radiologists with a special interest in oral and maxillofacial imaging, to update themselves on new developments. However, this goal could also be achieved by reading oral and maxillofacial radiology journals where information is subjected to more critical peer review JOHN THORNTON AND MICHAEL J. LEE
doi:10.1053/crad.2000.0750, available online at http://www.idealibrary.com on
Radiation Protection for Procedures Performed Outside the Radiology Department. National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements Sta. National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, 2000. Price $30.00 (Approx. £18). This is the ®rst text which has fallen into our hands concerned with the radiation protection education of professionals performing procedures outside the radiology department. It was developed under the auspices of Scienti®c Committee 46 of the NCRP which is concerned with operational radiation safety. The report examines procedures in the cardiac catheterization laboratory and operating room applications in urology, orthopaedics, cholangiography, angiography, pacemakers and endoscopy. A brief review of these procedures is presented, together with tables which summarize typical screening times and number of ®lms. The procedures are also categorized with respect to their exposure potential for sta. The impact of parameters such as tube voltage, current exposure time, ®lters and grids, protection and ®eld size upon total radiation exposure is explained. The same chapter also illustrates the manner in which personnel may protect themselves by invoking the use of time, distance, shielding, tube orientation and so forth. The diagrams in this chapter are a useful addition to help explain the eects of protective measures to sta who may not necessarily have much knowledge of radiation protection. The importance of equipment management processes such as acceptance testing, quality control and equipment maintenance is also emphasized, though of course not described in detail for these professionals.
0009-9260/02/030237+02 $35.00/0
There is a good `no-nonsense' chapter on personal monitoring which deals with perennial questions such as, `where should I wear my monitor?' and `shouldn't I really have one of those digital devices?' There is a short review of dierent monitor types and how to estimate eective dose for a person wearing two dosimeters, one under the apron and one above it at neck level. Appendices deal with the biological eects of radiation, X-ray interactions and radiation dose units. The section on risk and risk assessment is well explained and it is followed by the philosophy of radiation protection and how dose limits are set. X-ray equipment and the imaging process are dealt with in another appendix. These are straightforward, and give a clear uncomplicated explanation for nontechnical sta. Although patient protection and dose reduction are mentioned in the book where relevant, they are not expanded upon in a separate section or chapter. This might be a useful addition for a future edition but perhaps this departs a little from the main intentions of the NCRP Committee. The authors of this NCRP report are to be congratulated upon producing a very clear and useful text which we believe ®lls a de®nite need. We shall certainly be recommending this book to colleagues working in the areas concerned and also perhaps as a revision text for those working in radiology and in need of reviewing their knowledge of radiation protection. DR LESLEY MALONE PROFESSOR M. J. LEE
# 2002 The Royal College of Radiologists
Book Reviews Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Today. By M. Fuchita. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2000. Price: Euro 186.05, $214.50. Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Today is a book detailing proceedings of the 12th International Congress of Dental Maxillofacial Radiology, which took place in Japan, 26 June±1 July, 1999. It is no doubt an accurate record of the proceedings. The book is in the format of a series of abstracts with an additional summary of each presentation. The topics covered are varied including radiation biology, physics of digital radiography, quality assessment and infection control. The clinical topics are discussed according to pathological and anatomical groupings. Many of the clinical papers are single case reports or short case series with a few larger studies also.
The title of the book re¯ects that it presents current (early 1999) research in oral and maxillofacial radiology. It is, however, not a complete or comprehensive guide to oral and maxillofacial radiology. As a radiology textbook it is disappointing, in that there is a minimal amount of images presented in the book. It could not be used as a study guide for anybody interested in familiarizing themselves with oral and maxillofacial radiology. The book would therefore not be of bene®t to any radiologist in training. The book is more likely to be of interest to radiologists with a special interest in oral and maxillofacial imaging, to update themselves on new developments. However, this goal could also be achieved by reading oral and maxillofacial radiology journals where information is subjected to more critical peer review JOHN THORNTON AND MICHAEL J. LEE
doi:10.1053/crad.2000.0750, available online at http://www.idealibrary.com on
Radiation Protection for Procedures Performed Outside the Radiology Department. National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements Sta. National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, 2000. Price $30.00 (Approx. £18). This is the ®rst text which has fallen into our hands concerned with the radiation protection education of professionals performing procedures outside the radiology department. It was developed under the auspices of Scienti®c Committee 46 of the NCRP which is concerned with operational radiation safety. The report examines procedures in the cardiac catheterization laboratory and operating room applications in urology, orthopaedics, cholangiography, angiography, pacemakers and endoscopy. A brief review of these procedures is presented, together with tables which summarize typical screening times and number of ®lms. The procedures are also categorized with respect to their exposure potential for sta. The impact of parameters such as tube voltage, current exposure time, ®lters and grids, protection and ®eld size upon total radiation exposure is explained. The same chapter also illustrates the manner in which personnel may protect themselves by invoking the use of time, distance, shielding, tube orientation and so forth. The diagrams in this chapter are a useful addition to help explain the eects of protective measures to sta who may not necessarily have much knowledge of radiation protection. The importance of equipment management processes such as acceptance testing, quality control and equipment maintenance is also emphasized, though of course not described in detail for these professionals.
0009-9260/02/030237+02 $35.00/0
There is a good `no-nonsense' chapter on personal monitoring which deals with perennial questions such as, `where should I wear my monitor?' and `shouldn't I really have one of those digital devices?' There is a short review of dierent monitor types and how to estimate eective dose for a person wearing two dosimeters, one under the apron and one above it at neck level. Appendices deal with the biological eects of radiation, X-ray interactions and radiation dose units. The section on risk and risk assessment is well explained and it is followed by the philosophy of radiation protection and how dose limits are set. X-ray equipment and the imaging process are dealt with in another appendix. These are straightforward, and give a clear uncomplicated explanation for nontechnical sta. Although patient protection and dose reduction are mentioned in the book where relevant, they are not expanded upon in a separate section or chapter. This might be a useful addition for a future edition but perhaps this departs a little from the main intentions of the NCRP Committee. The authors of this NCRP report are to be congratulated upon producing a very clear and useful text which we believe ®lls a de®nite need. We shall certainly be recommending this book to colleagues working in the areas concerned and also perhaps as a revision text for those working in radiology and in need of reviewing their knowledge of radiation protection. DR LESLEY MALONE PROFESSOR M. J. LEE
# 2002 The Royal College of Radiologists