Diagnostic Imaging: Pediatric Neuroradiology

A.J. Barkovich, K.R. Moore, E. Grant, B.V. Jones, G. Vézina, B.L. Koch, C. Raybaud, S. Blaser, G.L. Hedlund, and A. Illner. Salt Lake City, Utah: Amirsys-Elsevier; 2007, 1100 pages, 2750 illustrations, $269.00.

Diagnostic Imaging: Pediatric Neuroradiology, edited by Dr. Barkovich with 9 additional contributors (Drs. Moore, Grant, Jones, Vezina, Koch, Raybaud, Blaser, Hedlund, Illner), adds further to the luster of this impressive series of textbooks in radiology. Say what you like about the style of writing and presentation of information (all in bullet points), there is, to this reviewer's eye, no better way to present volumes of information and the associated imaging.

This remarkable and beautifully illustrated 1100-page book covers the entire pediatric neuroradiology waterfront as fully as one could imagine. This series of textbooks in neuroradiology (Brain, Spine, Head/Neck, Imaging Anatomy, and now Pediatric Neuroradiology) is the first place I turn to obtain the information. The older style textbooks (at least in diagnostic neuroradiology) with prolonged prose now seem archaic. Perhaps this is a reflection of and in keeping with the way much information is transmitted these days (brief sound bytes, headline news, flashing bulletins, etc).

Back to the specifics of this book, it follows the same format as its predecessors, viz, a disease/abnormality illustrated with MR imaging (predominately) or CT, frequently accompanied by an artist's drawing following which there is described the “Terminology,” “Imaging Findings,” “Key Facts,” “Differential Diagnosis,” “Pathology,” “Clinical Issues,” “Diagnostic Checklist,” and “Selected References” for each case. What makes every entry in the text even more valuable is the illustration of 3 entities that would be considered part of the differential diagnosis along with what is termed “Image Gallery,” where additional examples of the disease under consideration are shown.

There are 3 parts to the book (“Brain,” “Head and Neck,” and “Spine”), each part is divided into sections, and under each section are the specific abnormalities. So for “Brain,” there are 8 sections (“Cerebral Hemispheres,” “Sella/Suprasellar,” “Pineal Region,” “Cerebellum/Brain Stem,” “Ventricular System,” “Meninges/Cisterns/Calvaria/Skull Base,” “Blood Vessels,” and “Multiple Brain Regions”). For the “Head and Neck,” there are sections on “Temporal Bone/Skull Base,” “Orbit/Nose/Sinuses,” “Suprahyoid/Infrahyoid Neck,” and “Multiple Regions.” For “Spine,” the sections are “Craniocervical Junction,” “Vertebrae,” “Extradural Space,” “Intradural Space,” “Intramedullary Space,” and “Multiple Regions.”

It is hard (no, virtually impossible) to pick out a single area that stands out from the rest because all areas are outstanding. For those who are not involved with much pediatric head and neck imaging, for example, the temporal bone section and the congenital lesions of the neck will hold great interest. The many developmental brain abnormalities provide a treasure of malformative alterations of the brain. Such plaudits could be listed for every section. At random, Rasmussen encephalitis was chosen to compare the material in this book versus what appears in a standard traditional text in pediatric neuroradiology. In the traditional text, Rasmussen encephalitis is described on 1 page and the imaging findings are described in 1 paragraph but are not illustrated. Compare that to this book: Here the description is 4 pages, brims with information, and is illustrated with 4 different cases, along with the depiction of 3 differential lesions. This pattern is repeated for every disease that I investigated. The traditional radiology texts may not be dead, but they are moribund when one can have all these books in diagnostic imaging at their disposal.

It is hard for a review to do this volume justice or convey to the reader how outstanding this book on pediatric neuroradiology is. For those few among us who are not familiar with this series of books, a 1-time thumb through the material will be convincing enough. Although it may be annoying and somewhat repetitious to read at the end of most book reviews that “this book is recommended,” there is no doubt that this textbook and all the others in this neuroradiology series are must purchases for anyone practicing neuroradiology and for every sectional library where there is a neuroradiology fellowship.

• Copyright © American Society of Neuroradiology