Lynn DJ, Newton HB, Rae-Grant AD. The 5-minute Neurology Consult. Second Ed. Wolters Kluwer | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2012; 452 pgs.; $99.95.
The 5-minute Neurology Consult, edited by D. Joanne Lynn, Herbert B. Newton, and Alexander D. Rae-Grant, is a 452-page book that covers a broad spectrum of neurologic disorders in a concise format.
This book is intended to be quick reference for neurologists. Each disorder is described in a two-page summary, with clearly listed citations from scholarly publications. There are ICD-9 diagnosis codes at the end of each section, which help with consult billing.
The book is divided into four sections: Neurological Symptoms and Signs, Diagnostic Tests, Diseases and Disorders, and Short Topics. The most comprehensive of these sections is Diseases and Disorders: topics range from neuro-oncology, cerebrovascular disease, toxicities, neuromuscular disorders, and more. The AIDS section is clear and concise; it will be useful in clinical practice as these patients are living longer and developing chronic disease complications.
The Brain Tumor section sums up all of the most common tumors (acoustic schwannoma, ependymoma, high-grade astrocytoma, low-grade glioma, medulloblastoma, meningioma, metastasis, oligodendroglioma, pituitary, and primary CNS lymphoma) in only 20 pages. Short synopses are given regarding common MRI changes seen with each major type of tumor. This is a unique reference that is unavailable in other texts.
The Short Topic section departs from the overall format of the book: it contains short, one-paragraph descriptions of problems that are seldom encountered in everyday practice. This is particularly helpful because each of these diseases is rarely seen, and the differences between them are subtle and would be lost in a more comprehensive review. The only topic in this section that should be given a larger summary is serotonin syndrome. This is an often overlooked cause of delirium that is becoming more common, especially with the combination of triptan drugs and SSRIs.
The Diagnostic Tests section is unique in that it provides a short description not only of how the major diagnostic tests work, but, more importantly, when they are indicated. There are also good descriptions of the strengths and limitations of these tests. This information is rarely presented in other texts.
There are no images, but the format of the book doesn’t require them. This book is most appropriate for neurology residents and attending physicians. Neuroradiologists may be interested in this book as a way to quickly to correlate their imaging findings with the short clinical histories they are given.
