Borsody MK. Comprehensive Board Review in Neurology. Second Ed. Thieme; 2012; 380 pgs.; 215 illustrations; $89.99

In this board review book entitled Comprehensive Board Review in Neurology, the author covers 13 areas he apparently believes are the most important to neurology residents studying for the ABN examination. Covered are neuroanatomy, vascular disease, seizures, myelination disorders, tumors (brain), headaches and other pain syndromes, psychiatry, movement disorders, nerve disease, muscle disease, infections of the CNS, metabolic and development diseases, and systemic diseases of the nervous system.

Key areas are covered in each chapter. For example in tumors of the nervous system the important points (at least relative to a Board exam) for all the varieties of tumors are covered. This reviewer is struck by 2 aspects—one is that there are far more histologic sections than there are MR images of the brain (only a highly calcified oligrodendroglioma and a meningioma are shown), whereas there are eleven histopathologic sections. This seems a bit unbalanced in terms of what a neurologist needs to know in his/her practice.

While there is material on the spine in places, it appears disproportionately small in total amount and small in contrast to what a neurologist should known about spine disease and low back pain (2 pages); neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis is given the same amount of space. But, who knows? Maybe these esoterica are given more weight in the Neurology Board exams.

In any event, for a neuroradiologist, the book is a nice review of the major topics in neurology.