Fritsch MJ, Kehler U, Meier U. Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus. 1st ed. Thieme; 2014; 204 pp; 435 ill; $149.99
As a reversible and underdiagnosed brain disorder, normal pressure hydrocephalous (NPH) deserves greater awareness and recognition among the various medical disciplines that care for elder patients. The book NPH Pathophysiology Diagnosis and Treatment by Fritsch, Kehler, and Meirer is a well-organized and easy-to-follow overview of NPH and, therefore, a useful resource for becoming informed and aware of the complexity associated with this condition. The 144 high-quality illustrations and figures well contribute to the overall outstanding clarity in which the material is presented. While this book started as a course for neurosurgeons, to address the underrepresentation of NPH in the neurosurgical literature, it covers a wide perspective and the different aspects associated with NPH, from the epidemiology and the pathophysiology through differential diagnosis, to treatment, including surgical techniques and a detailed in-depth review of the ever-evolving CSF shunt and valve technology.
This book is a valuable reference for clinicians of various disciplines that are involved in either identifying this challenging condition by making the correct differential diagnosis or those involved in treating and managing the care of NPH patients. This book provides a good starting point for those who are interested in a more in-depth knowledge of NPH. Three of the 17 chapters in this book are the more relevant for the neuroradiology audience. These are the chapters that cover noninvasive and invasive diagnostic work-up as well as imaging. The imaging chapter is relatively concise and it provides mainly basic information on the utilization of different imaging modalities in the diagnosis of NPH. Surprisingly, the past and current role of nuclear medicine in NPH has not been covered. Overall, the topic of imaging in NPH is challenging due to the lack of a standardized imaging approach. As this book provides general information it is not intended and does not focus on either the consensus or the controversies over some of the presented imaging methodologies and modalities.
In summary, the material in this book is well organized and easy to read. This book is a great educational resource for introducing the challenging and complex condition of NPH.
