Image-Guided Interventions

doi:10.3174/ajnr.A1288

American Journal of Neuroradiology

M.A. Mauro, K. Murphy, K. Thomson, A. Venbrux, and C.L. Zollikofer, eds. Elsevier; 2008, 1928 pages, 2329 illustrations, $339.00.

This 2-volume, 1928-page textbook may be of interest to neuroradiologists who are involved in spine and paraspinal interventions. On the other hand, interventional neuroradiologists in general will be surprised to see limited material on the treatment of intracranial vascular abnormalities, such as aneurysms, dural fistulas, and arteriovenous malformations. With the title of “Image-Guided Interventions,” one would have presumed that this important area of therapy would have been included.

The 5 editors (Drs. Mauro, Murphy, Thomson, Venbrux, and Zollikofer) of the text are well known in interventional radiology, both in North America and overseas. Numerous contributors (approximately 300) have authored or coauthored separate chapters. The books are divided into 2 parts: the first deals with “Vascular Interventions” and occupies 1–1/2 books (1288 pages), whereas the second part deals with “Nonvascular Interventions” (half a book, 484 pages). The only segment of the Vascular Interventions part of these books that deals specifically and solely with Interventional Neuroradiology are the chapters on Craniocervical Vascular Anatomy (Chapter 30 [22 pages]) and Arterial Anatomy of the Spine and Spinal Cord (Chapter 31 [14 pages]). It would have been wise to have followed each of those chapters with appropriate and extensive material on the vascular pathologic features of the brain and spine/spinal cord and their treatments.

That problem withstanding, there are separate chapters on Carotid Artery Revascularization, Acute Stroke Management, Endovascular Management of Chronic Cerebral Ischemia, Benign Head and Neck Tumors, Malignant Extracranial Head and Neck Tumors, Epistaxis, Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (this is a very short chapter with no cross-references in the book dealing with aneurysms or arteriovascular malformation), Vascular Management of Head and Neck Injuries, and Cervical Artery Dissection (5 pages).

For neuroradiologists interested in and or performing vertebral interventions and for those who are involved in pain management, the book is more robust. Consecutive chapters on Percutaneous Vertebroplasty (6 pages) and Vertebral Height Restoration (12 pages) appear in Volume II along with the final chapters on pain management (nerve root blocks, stellate ganglion blocks, facet injections, periradicular therapy, epidural steroid injection, intervention for Tarlov cysts, and scalene blocks).

Overall, this is an outstanding set of books for vascular interventional radiologists; however, this publication will not be of interest to the vascular interventional neuroradiologist.