Mamourian A. Learn to Read CT Angiography of the Brain, Part 1: Aneurysms. Self-published; iTunes; Free

Years ago, radiology fully transitioned from an analog medium to a digital medium. This 125-page interactive electronic book by Dr. Alexander Mamourian continues this evolution for radiology textbooks. Learn to Read CT Angiography of the Brain is loaded with “scrollable” CTA, MRA, DSA, MIP, and 3D images of intracranial aneurysms.  With the use of embedded movies instead of static images, the reader can advance through stacks of images in a fashion that simulates a PACS viewer. This provides a more realistic approach to the evaluation of aneurysms.

The book is suited for residents and fellows. The chapters cover basic brain vascular anatomy, saccular and nonsaccular aneurysms, the dural ring, vascular anomalies, and pitfalls. Each chapter closes with a review section. The text is easy reading and to the point. One of the highlights of this book is the large number of CT/MR movies illustrating various aneurysms.  Another useful feature is the ability to take notes on the electronic book margin. The book teaches the fundamentals needed to identify intracranial aneurysms. However, management and treatments are not covered.

One critique of this electronic book is that full movie controls require a computer. You can still read it on an ipad device but you will not be able to control the speed or direction of the movies. Hence, the “scrolling” experience is best appreciated on a computer.

Overall, the book is easy to read, very visual, and makes great use of the electronic medium.