Small JE, Schaefer PW. Neuroradiology: Key Differential Diagnoses and Clinical Questions. Elsevier Saunders; 2013; 472 pgs.; $142.00
Neuroradiology: Key Differential Diagnoses and Clinical Questions is a case-based book that distinguishes itself from other similar textbooks with two features:
- It does not follow the standard organization of pathologies according to underlying etiology. Rather, it has a unique pattern/case-based approach to the differential diagnosis that helps you distinguish similar-looking pathological entities from one another, simulating the thought process of radiologists in real life.
- It contains an exceptionally large number of cases, probably unmatched for a book of this size.
The book is co-authored by Drs. Juan Small and Pamela Schaefer, the book is divided into four sections: Brain and Coverings, Spine, Head and Neck, and Pediatric Neuroradiology, which in turn are subdivided into a total of 72 chapters. Each chapter deals with a specific pattern (eg, CT dense lesions, T1W hyperintense lesions, etc.), but rather than presenting you with one case per chapter, you are provided with three to six “classic” cases/unknowns of different but similar-looking pathologies. The unknowns are then followed by the answers, as well as a brief discussion that includes a description of the entities, clues to narrow the differential diagnosis, and pertinent clinical features.
The authors suggest that the reader goes through all the unknowns and formulates a differential before reading the answers and the associated text. When you follow this guideline you are challenged to formulate a broad differential for the theme (eg, T1W hyperintense brain lesions) and then narrow it down to a specific diagnosis for each of the provided cases. The side-by-side comparison and contrast of similar-appearing lesions is invaluable in helping the reader realize the subtle distinguishing imaging characteristics of each entity. The text is brief and high-yield, with emphasis on practical radiologic findings and clinical pearls.
Though the vast majority of the images are clear, the images are small, and sometimes fine details are difficult to notice. This is not unexpected, knowing that there are more than a 1000 images and 430 pages. Unfortunately, the electronic version that is free with the hardcover does not solve this problem completely and, in my opinion, does not provide the ultimate reading experience. The Kindle and Google versions (I was only able to see samples of both versions on the internet) are much easier to navigate, more colorful, and, more importantly, have better image display on my screen.
In summary, this book provides a unique and very practical case-based approach. It targets primarily radiology residents, neuroradiology fellows, and general radiologists. I think it is an excellent addition to the neuroimaging library and is useful both in daily practice as well as for board preparation. The book is remarkable for the large number of images and cases; however, both the paper version and the free electronic version are not excellent in terms of image size. The Kindle and Google Play versions, on the other hand, provide a much better overall display and reading experience.
