Eskey CJ, Belden CJ, Pastel DA, et al. Neuroradiology Cases. Oxford University Press 2012, 416 pages, $69.99.
A new entry into the popular format of case-based publications is the recently published (2012) softcover book Neuroradiology Cases: Cases in Radiology written by Drs. Eskey, Belden, Pastel, Vossough and Yoo. This 416-page book is divided into 3 sections (brain/spine/ENT) and unabashedly has the aim of appealing to those preparing for the ABR examination. Therefore, as one would expect, the cases are classic in imaging. The concept is pattern recognition with minimal interrogation in terms of advanced techniques.
The format is straightforward: 192 cases are shown with selected images and a brief history on the right hand page, and the overleaf repeats some of the images with one or two additional images (labeled appropriately). The case discussion for each includes findings, differential diagnosis, pertinent teaching points, clinical management, and references (or what is called “further reading”). This allows for self-testing and studying the entity under consideration.
The images are of good quality, and the selection of cases is appropriate; a number of them are challenging, considering that the authors are aiming this text toward residents studying for the boards. One has to wonder, however, given all the quiz material available on the internet, whether on a society website or from a University, why these types of books continue to be published.
The cases themselves are straightforward, and the abnormalities are obvious. But as we all know, real-life radiology doesn’t present us with a couple of images that are blatantly abnormal and from which we then make a diagnosis.
That being said, there is instructive and worthwhile material here. Just to name a few: infarcts secondary to a meningitis, “chasing the dragon,” adult HIE, small subdural empyemas, fenestral otosclerosis, incomplete partition of the cochlea, PXA, MSA, interhemispheric epidermoid cyst, spinal cord infarction, ATM, SCD, labyrinthitis ossificans, orbital rhabdomyosarcoma, PHPV, inflammatory adenitis (AML), ocular melanoma, kernicterus, anencephaly on prenatal sonography (do they really show OB VS in Neuro?), methanol toxicity, PKAN, RCVS, etc. Overall, the discussions and teaching points are well written and distill the information to the essentials.
Putting aside the review of this book for a second, this reviewer believes what really needs to be published is a compendium of cases where the findings are subtle; such a book could be called Easily Missed Diagnoses: Neuroradiology. Here is where most concern for the everyday practice of neuroradiology lies.
In summary, for this genre of books, the text reviewed here is good and could be one passed from resident to resident as a preparation for the Boards (written and oral).
