Koenig LJ, ed. Diagnostic Imaging: Oral and Maxillofacial. AMIRSYS 2012, 1000 pages, $339.00.
For those radiologist who already possess a copy of the 2011 volume Diagnostic Imaging: Head and Neck, the newest addition to the remarkable Amirsys collection, Diagnostic Imaging: Oral and Maxillofacial, adds incremental value. There are 8 primary editors besides Dr. Harnsberger, who are involved in the practice of oral and maxillofacial radiology. The lead editor is Lisa Koenig, DDS, who is from the Marquette University School of Medicine.
As one would expect, there is some duplication from the previously published head and neck book. That is altogether proper, since the attention is highly focused on the entire face, mouth, upper aerodigestive track, and maxilla/ mandible. Take (as just one example) ranulas; here the material is duplicated from text to text. Such example should in no way dissuade one from obtaining a copy of this book, since it’s over 800 pages of anatomy and imaging is a complete treatise on the structures and diagnosis of this area.
There are 3 distinct parts of this text: Part 1: Anatomy; Part 2: Diagnosis; Part 3: Differential Diagnoses. Exquisite anatomic drawings accompany the Anatomy Section: normal imaging of the oral cavity, nose and sinuses, temporal bone, base of skull, cranial nerves, craniocervical junction, and suprahyoid neck. In the first section on the oral cavities, 28 pages deal with anatomy and structures we (at least this reviewer) often ignore, i.e., dendition at various ages, impactations, restorations, implantations. Not only to radiologists, who often pay scant attention to the teeth on imaging, but particularly to our ENT colleagues, this is highly educational. While this reviewer is not familiar with the anatomy and pathology texts used in dental schools, a reasonable assumption is that this book will find wide use for all those in that field also.
In more detail than prior texts, we see beautifully, for example, the oral cavity structures and the matching axial images—this requires continued and recurrent scrutiny to feel comfortable with anatomy. This can be said for every anatomic area of the book. Again the reader is treated to the educational diagrams which highlight the various spaces of the suprahyoid neck, structures about which Dr. Harnsberger has so beautifully informed us over the years.
When we turn to the Part on Diagnosis, particularly of the teeth, who knew of all those abnormalities? Granted, many of the images are detail radiographs, but some are not. If nothing else, by reading these chapters we can be a bit savvier if our oral surgery colleagues consult with us. Do you know what a gubernaculum cord or canal is? Within this Part there is covered all the pathologic entities (infection/malignant tumors, congenital primary bone lesions, trauma cystic lesions of the oral cavity and maxilla/ mandible, TMJ disorders, lesions of the maxillary sinus/nasal cavity, parotid gland, and masticator space) one would encounter in any practice.
The last part of the book involves differential diagnoses and begins (just as in other parts) with the teeth, and moves from there to the mandible/maxilla, oral cavity, TMJ, maxillary sinus/nasal cavity. Here, in this section, rather than describing a single disease, the material is divided according to findings (as an example, 4 pages are devoted to Parotid Space Lesions). Besides the familiar format of bullet points, there are 14 images basically showing the major differential diagnoses. Not only are the differential grouped by region or area (as above) but by radiologic features such as “generalized radiopacities” of the mandible and maxilla (6 pages with 22 images).
This reviewer’s only criticism (actually more of a suggestion than a criticism) is that the book would be strengthened by a short fourth Part dealing strictly with postsurgery, post-treatment imaging. Here, treatment successes and failures along with expected appearances could be shown. Maybe we will see this in the next edition.
Score another winner for Amirsys and their ongoing commitment to outstanding educational material. The book is recommended in the highest terms to all radiologists.
