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Pediatric neurology: A color handbook
Pediatric Neurology 47 (2012) 226
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Pediatric Neurology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/pnu
Book Review
Pediatric neurology: A color handbook. By J.F. Bale, Jr., J.L. Bonkowsky, F.M. Filloux, G.L. Hedlund, D.M. Nielson, and P.D. Larsen. London: Manson Publishing Co., 2012. 352 pp, illustrated. ISBN 978 1 84076 134 4.
This book is divided into two sections. The first involves core concepts, consists of six chapters, and covers materials basic to the evaluations and diagnoses of neurologic conditions in pediatric patients. The chapters entail neurologic examinations, neuroimaging, electrophysiologic studies, cerebrospinal fluid, genetic evaluations, and metabolic testing. The discussion regarding the techniques and strategies of performing a neurologic examination in young patients who cannot fully cooperate is very helpful. The first section accounts for approximately 25% of the book. The second section, a problem-based approach to pediatric neurologic disorders, consists of 17 chapters based on symptoms and signs. Its topics covered include disorders of development, behavior and cognition, language and hearing, head size and shape, cranial nerves, peripheral nerves, gait and balance, sleep, problems of newborns, focal deficits, dysmorphism, headaches, hypotonia and weakness, infections, movement, and seizures and paroxysmal disorders. The final chapter is devoted to neurologic emergencies. Differential diagnoses, evaluations, and management for each problem are discussed. All chapters follow a similar format. Each begins by outlining the main aspects discussed, and lists four to eight key points in bullet format. Within each chapter are summaries highlighting salient information, tables, and abundant informative illustrations, many of which are in color and include examples of pertinent imaging, pathology, and photographs of patients exhibiting clinical features. These clinical pictures provide excellent examples of the characteristic features of disorders under discussion. Among its several goals, this book demonstrates how histories and neurologic examinations remain the bases for formulating approaches to patients with neurologic problems. The reader is guided in developing appropriate strategies for evaluation and management plans. The experienced clinician uses strategies in an almost automatic fashion. However, emphasizing this use of strategies for caregivers beginning to learn about pediatric neurologic disorders is very helpful. The writing style, although informed by the contributions of many authors, is uniformly consistent and admirably concise, with no wasted verbiage. Most chapters in the second section of the book are five to 10 pages in length, including tables and illustrations. The text is admirably succinct and conveys great amounts of 0887-8994/$ - see front matter Ó 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2012.05.026
information in relatively little space. Each brief chapter provides salient information about topics under discussion. The more eager learner may not be satisfied with this “tasting,” and will be stimulated to pursue additional information. This book is not written for experienced child neurologists. Rather, it is designed for primary care providers, hospitalists, pediatric emergency medicine physicians, physician’s assistants, and nurse practitioners. It should be helpful to medical students, rotators on a child neurology service (including pediatric and adult neurology residents), and possibly pediatric neurology trainees. At the end of the book are references, some as recent as 2010, and bibliographies. The references are not cited in the text, but are listed as a group for each chapter. In addition, helpful internet resources are listed. As in most textbook reviews, suggestions regarding content may be offered. For example, the expanded phenotype of Rett syndrome and a more comprehensive discussion of neuromyelitis optica, including the cerebrospinal fluid findings and cranial imaging, could have been included. The chapter regarding disorders of behavior and cognition does not fully discuss the effects of prenatal toxin and drug exposure, although they are mentioned in other chapters. Likewise, the discussions of autistic spectrum and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders are very brief, and the information is scattered across several chapters. Consolidation would be helpful. If I were to provide any recommendations for the next edition of this book, they would involve redistributing the coverage given to topics. Some of the more common conditions, as already noted, are briefly covered. Other examples include headaches (10 pages), epilepsy and other paroxysmal disorders (11 pages), and disorders of behavior and cognition (nine pages). These examples contrast with the 21 pages devoted to infections of the nervous system. Cerebral malaria receives three quarters of a page, and febrile seizures are covered in one paragraph. This book is highly recommended for its proposed target audiences. They will benefit from the approaches outlined and the information concisely provided, and they will enjoy reading it. Marvin A. Fishman, MD Department of Pediatrics Department of Neurology Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX 77030 E-mail address: mfi[email protected]
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Pediatric Neurology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/pnu
Book Review
Pediatric neurology: A color handbook. By J.F. Bale, Jr., J.L. Bonkowsky, F.M. Filloux, G.L. Hedlund, D.M. Nielson, and P.D. Larsen. London: Manson Publishing Co., 2012. 352 pp, illustrated. ISBN 978 1 84076 134 4.
This book is divided into two sections. The first involves core concepts, consists of six chapters, and covers materials basic to the evaluations and diagnoses of neurologic conditions in pediatric patients. The chapters entail neurologic examinations, neuroimaging, electrophysiologic studies, cerebrospinal fluid, genetic evaluations, and metabolic testing. The discussion regarding the techniques and strategies of performing a neurologic examination in young patients who cannot fully cooperate is very helpful. The first section accounts for approximately 25% of the book. The second section, a problem-based approach to pediatric neurologic disorders, consists of 17 chapters based on symptoms and signs. Its topics covered include disorders of development, behavior and cognition, language and hearing, head size and shape, cranial nerves, peripheral nerves, gait and balance, sleep, problems of newborns, focal deficits, dysmorphism, headaches, hypotonia and weakness, infections, movement, and seizures and paroxysmal disorders. The final chapter is devoted to neurologic emergencies. Differential diagnoses, evaluations, and management for each problem are discussed. All chapters follow a similar format. Each begins by outlining the main aspects discussed, and lists four to eight key points in bullet format. Within each chapter are summaries highlighting salient information, tables, and abundant informative illustrations, many of which are in color and include examples of pertinent imaging, pathology, and photographs of patients exhibiting clinical features. These clinical pictures provide excellent examples of the characteristic features of disorders under discussion. Among its several goals, this book demonstrates how histories and neurologic examinations remain the bases for formulating approaches to patients with neurologic problems. The reader is guided in developing appropriate strategies for evaluation and management plans. The experienced clinician uses strategies in an almost automatic fashion. However, emphasizing this use of strategies for caregivers beginning to learn about pediatric neurologic disorders is very helpful. The writing style, although informed by the contributions of many authors, is uniformly consistent and admirably concise, with no wasted verbiage. Most chapters in the second section of the book are five to 10 pages in length, including tables and illustrations. The text is admirably succinct and conveys great amounts of 0887-8994/$ - see front matter Ó 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2012.05.026
information in relatively little space. Each brief chapter provides salient information about topics under discussion. The more eager learner may not be satisfied with this “tasting,” and will be stimulated to pursue additional information. This book is not written for experienced child neurologists. Rather, it is designed for primary care providers, hospitalists, pediatric emergency medicine physicians, physician’s assistants, and nurse practitioners. It should be helpful to medical students, rotators on a child neurology service (including pediatric and adult neurology residents), and possibly pediatric neurology trainees. At the end of the book are references, some as recent as 2010, and bibliographies. The references are not cited in the text, but are listed as a group for each chapter. In addition, helpful internet resources are listed. As in most textbook reviews, suggestions regarding content may be offered. For example, the expanded phenotype of Rett syndrome and a more comprehensive discussion of neuromyelitis optica, including the cerebrospinal fluid findings and cranial imaging, could have been included. The chapter regarding disorders of behavior and cognition does not fully discuss the effects of prenatal toxin and drug exposure, although they are mentioned in other chapters. Likewise, the discussions of autistic spectrum and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders are very brief, and the information is scattered across several chapters. Consolidation would be helpful. If I were to provide any recommendations for the next edition of this book, they would involve redistributing the coverage given to topics. Some of the more common conditions, as already noted, are briefly covered. Other examples include headaches (10 pages), epilepsy and other paroxysmal disorders (11 pages), and disorders of behavior and cognition (nine pages). These examples contrast with the 21 pages devoted to infections of the nervous system. Cerebral malaria receives three quarters of a page, and febrile seizures are covered in one paragraph. This book is highly recommended for its proposed target audiences. They will benefit from the approaches outlined and the information concisely provided, and they will enjoy reading it. Marvin A. Fishman, MD Department of Pediatrics Department of Neurology Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX 77030 E-mail address: mfi[email protected]