Harrison’s Neurology in Clinical Medicine

S.L. Hauser, S.A. Josephson, J.D. English, J.W. Engstrom, eds. Hightstown, NJ: McGraw-Hill; 2006, 691 pages, 100+ illustrations, $64.95.

For someone wanting a brief and simple review of neurology, this segment from Harrison’s Principle of Internal Medicine may be of value. There are 65 authors/coauthors and 43 separate chapters, among them a 14-plate chapter on imaging in neurologic disorders. That chapter is a superficial overview of neuroradiology and would be of interest only to someone who is neither a radiologist nor involved primarily in clinical neurology.

The material in this 691-page soft-cover book covers all major neurologic diseases and could be used as a quick source of key information. The layout of each of the chapters is pleasing, with clear subdivisions, abundant tables, and key facts highlighted in boxes. The clinical manifestations, neurologic findings, differential considerations, imaging (although unfortunately highly limited), laboratory findings, and treatment constitute the main portions of each chapter. This book has important information on vascular disease, tumors, infection, toxic/metabolic disorders, genetic diseases, degenerative disorders, psychiatric problems, muscle/peripheral nerve disease, movement disorders, demyelinating diseases, and trauma, along with specific clinical syndromes.

An added feature of the book is a segment entitled “Review and Self-Assessment.” It consists of 44 questions (with multiple-choice answers); it is followed by an answer section and reference back to specific parts of the book. It would be of value for a neuroradiologist to take this test before reading parts of the book to see how much neurology he or she remembers (or has forgotten). It could be an incentive to read the book cover to cover.

• Copyright © American Society of Neuroradiology