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AJR:175, December 2000

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his book was a pleasure to read andreview. The concept of the book ispowerful and precise: to impart

knowledge in an easy-to-read, concise, coherentformat. It is impossible to overapplaud the con-cept and the importance of the authors’ emphasison the fundamental knowledge required to inter-pret chest radiographic findings. After readingthis book, one understands clearly that chest ra-diology is founded on basic principles that pro-vide the key to understanding complex entities.

The authors are well-renowned thoracic radi-ologists with extensive teaching and publishingexperience, which is reflected in the well-writ-ten and well-structured format of this textbook.Both authors have completed Figley Fellow-ships in Radiology Journalism, and this experi-ence has undoubtedly contributed to their abilityto convey a wide array of facts consistently andclearly. The authors are adept at simplifyingcomplexity, and their ambitious effort to presentthe essentials of chest radiology in a textbook isa success. Like any good basic textbook, theformat is obliged to be simultaneously both de-tailed and expansive. That the authors overcomethis dilemma and reach a fine balance in inte-grating the two is a notable achievement. Theresult is a well-focused, seldom repetitious,wide-ranging review that is an invaluable guideto chest radiology.

The book is divided into 18 chapters, withthe first two illustrating normal anatomy andsigns of disease. The remaining chapters onlung disease are based on a pattern approach torecognizing disease and generating appropri-ate differential diagnoses. Other chapters focus

on specific entities such as diseases in the im-munocompromised patient, neoplasms of thelung, and monitoring and support devices com-monly encountered in intensive care units.Each chapter has been organized in a similarfashion, with an emphasis on learning objec-tives and the fundamental knowledge requiredto interpret chest radiographic findings cor-rectly. The chapters are concise and compre-hensive enough for the reader to obtain a firmfoundation in the essential aspects of the topicreviewed. However, the depth of discussion hasbeen limited so that each chapter can be read ina relatively short time; it is possible to read theentire book in a few days. Each chapter con-tains numerous high-quality radiographic im-ages and uses CT images to clarify andelucidate radiographic findings. Tables thatsummarize important aspects of the text andschematic drawings facilitate the understandingof basic radiologic signs. Furthermore, eachchapter references larger and more comprehen-sive textbooks for the reader who wants to re-view topics in more detail.

With any text of this nature, certain topicscannot be covered to the full extent they de-serve. However, the authors have used their ex-perience to write an excellent textbook inwhich there are no substantial omissions. Pro-viding any constructive criticism of this book isdifficult because its scope, structure, and atten-tion to detail are superb. I have two minor criti-cisms. First, the radiograph showing anexample of primary tuberculosis with bilateralcavitary disease is not a classic example of theradiographic manifestation of this disease.

Showing a more characteristic example of sub-lobar or lobar consolidation without cavitationwould have been better. Second, the radiographshowing asbestosis with predominantly bibasi-lar pulmonary fibrosis has been poorlycropped—the bases are not entirely includedon the image. Besides these criticisms, the im-ages are of high quality and are well illustrated,with explanatory arrows and captions.

Chest radiographs are an integral part ofdaily practice in radiology and are too oftenpoorly understood and interpreted.

Chest Radi-ology: The Essentials

is indispensable forlearning how to interpret the chest radiographand diagnose intrathoracic abnormalities. Theradiology resident, pulmonary fellow, or anyphysician interested in interpretation of chestradiographs will not be able to find a bettercomprehensive review of the basics. The bookis particularly suited for radiology residents intheir first years of training, although it wouldalso be an excellent way for senior residents torapidly review an extensive array of intratho-racic manifestations of disease.

In summary, the authors are gifted writersand consummate conveyers of fact in thisthoughtful, well-developed book. The authors’desire to impart knowledge is an insistent re-frain from start to finish. I recommend thisbook with no hesitation. Without doubt,

ChestRadiology: The Essentials

is

an excellent com-prehensive text for those in teaching programs,both in chest radiology and pulmonology.

Jeremy J. Erasmus

Duke University Medical CenterDurham, NC 27710

Chest Radiology: The Essentials.

By Jannette Collins and Eric J. Stern. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 284 pp., 1999. $79

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