Oncology of CNS Tumors, Second Edition. Jörg-Christian Tonn, Manfred Westphal, James T. Rutka (Editors). Springer 2010, 793 pages, 265 illustrations, $269.00.
The second edition of this widely popular textbook (nearly 793 pages in length) in the oncology of brain and spine tumors combine the experience of (primarily) 131 neurosurgeons, neurologists, and neuropathologists. This valuable text covers adult brain tumors, pediatric brain tumor, spinal tumors, and peripheral nerve tumors. What is particularly good about the book is that each tumor is discussed from multiple aspects — epidemiology, clinical symptoms, diagnostic procedures (here including nice representations of primarily MR), pathologic classification (frequently accompanied by histopathology), molecular pathogenesis/genetics, (when appropriate), treatment options (surgery, radiation, chemo therapy, other therapeutic options). Some chapters, like the one on orbital tumors, contain excellent patient photographs in conjunction with imaging. The often confusing topic of neuroglial tumors such as ganglioglioma, gangliocytomas, DNET, desomoplastic infantile tumors, paragangliomas, and neurocytomas, is nicely summarized but suffers from a lack of imaging. In that respect, the book is uneven; that is some chapters are adequate in terms of imaging while others are sparse in that regard.
As expected, the text begins with a chapter on tumor classification and pathology (basic information including the WHO classification), some information on immuno histochemical markers, and very well presented gross and histologic sections of various tumors — an excellent review for a radiologist of the tissue features of these tumors.
Even though bone tumors of the spine column are not part of the CNS nor are peripheral nerves tumors, material on both of these appear at the end of the book. Unfortunately in the peripheral nerve chapter, imaging is scant and inadequate; perhaps future editions will be more robust in peripheral nerve and brachial/lumbouacral plexus imaging. Fortunately, many chapters take the reader through a reasonable description of the surgical procedures involved for each tumor often with intra operative photographs.
Neuroradiologists would find this text useful, not for the imaging but for the integrated information related to CNS tumors.
