Borden NM, Forseen SE. Pattern Recognition Neuroradiology. Cambridge University Press 2011,354 pages, 718 illustrations, $79.
With more than 700 images and concise, well written text, this book is recommended mainly for junior residents rotating through neuroradiology, and for neurologists and neurology residents. The text could also be useful for the boarded radiologist looking for a quick refresher in neuroradiology.
It is organized with two main sections: the first is the brain, with brief mention of head and neck lesions, and the second is the spine. Each of these sections is divided in the following manner: first, there is a chapter on basic concepts such as imaging physics and basic physiology and pathology, then a more in-depth look at specific pathologies, then a chapter listing a differential diagnosis based on lesion location, which is followed by a chapter listing a differential based on imaging characteristics (“Lesions demonstrating diffusion restriction”). This is followed by the image gallery that contains well labeled images demonstrating classic findings in neuroradiology.
The unique organization of this book can be cumbersome at times. Finding the image of what is being discussed in the text involves going back to the introductory index of that chapter and finding the page number of the image, which can be 150-200 pages away. Likewise, in the image legend, no reference is given to the text page where the disease is discussed. The image legends also rarely give pearls, a differential, or a discussion, but are mostly descriptive of the image sequence and findings. Although it is stated that pattern recognition is not merely done by recognizing lesion morphology and location but that one must also incorporate the clinical context, the vast majority of images in the image gallery do not give demographic information or the patient’s presentation.
Overall, the strengths of the book include the succinct and well written text, as well as the characteristic and well labeled images. The unique organization of the book makes reading the book and using it for a quick reference fairly tedious. This structuring leads this reviewer to compare it unfavorably to a similar level softcover text Neuroradiology Companion, where the text and examples are given on the same pages.
