The WHO manual of diagnostic imaging: radiographic anatomy and interpretation of the musculoskeletal...
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BOOK REVIEWS The WHO manual of diagnostic imaging: radiographic anatomy and interpretation of the musculoskeletal system By A. M. Davies, H. Pettersson. Geneva: World Health Organisation, 2002. Price $58.50 This textbook is one in a series of WHO manuals of diagnostic imaging. It is aimed primarily at medical specialists, general practitioners and radiographers work- ing in small hospitals and institutions in rural areas. It is intended as a basic text of musculoskeletal diagnostic imaging, and covers the interpretation of conventional radiographs. Techniques such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasonogra- phy are not included, and it should not, therefore, be regarded as essential reading for those in large teaching hospitals or for radiologists in training. A book such as this needs to achieve two main aims. First the text should be clear and concise covering the main points in each area of discussion. Second the illustrations should be of good quality, appropriately annotated and demonstrate “clas- sical” radiological features of each disease process. The first three chapters cover general principles, terminology and anatomy. The principles of X-rays are simply explained and require no knowledge of physics. Simple radiological terminology is provided and limited to the absolute essentials. However, the description of radiographic projections could be improved. Radio- graphic technique is not included. Anatomical illus- trations are clear and generally well annotated, although the images of the skull and facial bones section are a little small and some are incorrectly labelled. Most of the remainder of the manual covers patho- logical radiology, and includes trauma, infection, arthri- tis, tumours, metabolic condition and haemopoietic disorders. The only notable topic not included is skull and facial trauma. The pathological sections are largely well written and include relevant radiological features of the commonest pathological processes. The chapters covering infection, tumours and haemopoietic disorders are particularly well covered. Spelling mistakes are few (although the authors squander both opportunities to spell coccidioidomycosis correctly!). The images are generally of good quality, although at times the use of annotation would help to illustrate the key points from the text more clearly. In some instances there are rather too few images (especially true in the chapter on arthritis). This is a pity, as there are many “dead spaces” in the layout of the text in which further images could have been included, without increasing the overall number of pages. The last chapter provides a short list of further recommended reading. Overall this is a well-written and well-illustrated text, which achieves its main objectives in a compact form and it will be of great benefit to medical practitioners throughout the world. R. Campbell doi:10.1016/j.crad.2003.09.012 Radiology illustrated: uroradiology By S. H. Vim et al. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders, 2003. Price £115.00 You should never judge a book by its cover, especially this one. My copy was bound upside down. Open the front cover and find an inverted index. I hope it’s a one off error. This book is apparently part of a “Radiology Illustrated” series, appropriately therefore it contains about 3000 illustrations in its 1000 pages. Each of the 30 chapters has a two or three page text introduction followed by illustrations. This is therefore a book to dip into and peruse rather than sit down and read. The authors are eight South Korean radiologists and two well-known American uroradiologists, William Bush and Lee Talner, who have contributed to seven chapters. The illustrations are of good quality, but of small size. In many cases arrows point to features that are not clearly visible. This is particularly irksome when many pages are half empty and could accommodate larger images. Many of the images are reproduced from the multi-volume text, Clinical Urography (Pollack and McClennan, Edi- tors). The contents comprehensively cover urinary tract radiology. There are references attached to the opening text of each chapter, but these are not directly referred to in the text itself. The text contains minor grammatical and spelling errors. Colour images are reproduced in black and white in the individual chapters, but are replicated altogether in a single colour section in the middle of the book, presumably for economy. Interven- tional procedures are illustrated but without much text discussion. Some topics, for example erectile dysfunction and penile diseases, occupy an inordinate amount of space, especially in the sildenafil era. So this is a pictorial and not a complete teaching or reference text in uroradiology. However, the radiological image is a powerful teaching and learning tool, and for this reason I would recommend it for departmental purchase, but not as an individual buy. C. Evans doi:10.1016/S0009-9260(03)00335-0 Clinical Radiology (2004) 59, 112–114
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Transcript of The WHO manual of diagnostic imaging: radiographic anatomy and interpretation of the musculoskeletal...
BOOK REVIEWS
The WHO manual of diagnostic imaging: radiographicanatomy and interpretation of the musculoskeletalsystem
By A. M. Davies, H. Pettersson. Geneva: World HealthOrganisation, 2002. Price $58.50
This textbook is one in a series of WHO manuals ofdiagnostic imaging. It is aimed primarily at medicalspecialists, general practitioners and radiographers work-ing in small hospitals and institutions in rural areas. It isintended as a basic text of musculoskeletal diagnosticimaging, and covers the interpretation of conventionalradiographs. Techniques such as computed tomography(CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasonogra-phy are not included, and it should not, therefore, beregarded as essential reading for those in large teachinghospitals or for radiologists in training. A book such as thisneeds to achieve two main aims. First the text should beclear and concise covering the main points in each area ofdiscussion. Second the illustrations should be of goodquality, appropriately annotated and demonstrate “clas-sical” radiological features of each disease process.
The first three chapters cover general principles,terminology and anatomy. The principles of X-rays aresimply explained and require no knowledge of physics.Simple radiological terminology is provided and limited tothe absolute essentials. However, the description ofradiographic projections could be improved. Radio-graphic technique is not included. Anatomical illus-trations are clear and generally well annotated,although the images of the skull and facial bones sectionare a little small and some are incorrectly labelled.
Most of the remainder of the manual covers patho-logical radiology, and includes trauma, infection, arthri-tis, tumours, metabolic condition and haemopoieticdisorders. The only notable topic not included is skulland facial trauma. The pathological sections are largelywell written and include relevant radiological features ofthe commonest pathological processes. The chapterscovering infection, tumours and haemopoietic disordersare particularly well covered. Spelling mistakes are few(although the authors squander both opportunities tospell coccidioidomycosis correctly!). The images aregenerally of good quality, although at times the use ofannotation would help to illustrate the key points fromthe text more clearly. In some instances there are rathertoo few images (especially true in the chapter onarthritis). This is a pity, as there are many “dead spaces”in the layout of the text in which further images couldhave been included, without increasing the overallnumber of pages. The last chapter provides a short listof further recommended reading.
Overall this is a well-written and well-illustrated text,which achieves its main objectives in a compact form and
it will be of great benefit to medical practitionersthroughout the world.
R. Campbelldoi:10.1016/j.crad.2003.09.012
Radiology illustrated: uroradiology
By S. H. Vim et al. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders, 2003. Price£115.00
You should never judge a book by its cover, especially thisone. My copy was bound upside down. Open the frontcover and find an inverted index. I hope it’s a one offerror. This book is apparently part of a “RadiologyIllustrated” series, appropriately therefore it containsabout 3000 illustrations in its 1000 pages. Each of the 30chapters has a two or three page text introductionfollowed by illustrations. This is therefore a book to dipinto and peruse rather than sit down and read.
The authors are eight South Korean radiologists andtwo well-known American uroradiologists, William Bushand Lee Talner, who have contributed to seven chapters.The illustrations are of good quality, but of small size. Inmany cases arrows point to features that are not clearlyvisible. This is particularly irksome when many pages arehalf empty and could accommodate larger images. Manyof the images are reproduced from the multi-volumetext, Clinical Urography (Pollack and McClennan, Edi-tors).
The contents comprehensively cover urinary tractradiology. There are references attached to the openingtext of each chapter, but these are not directly referredto in the text itself. The text contains minor grammaticaland spelling errors. Colour images are reproduced inblack and white in the individual chapters, but arereplicated altogether in a single colour section in themiddle of the book, presumably for economy. Interven-tional procedures are illustrated but without much textdiscussion. Some topics, for example erectile dysfunctionand penile diseases, occupy an inordinate amount ofspace, especially in the sildenafil era.
So this is a pictorial and not a complete teaching orreference text in uroradiology. However, the radiologicalimage is a powerful teaching and learning tool, and forthis reason I would recommend it for departmentalpurchase, but not as an individual buy.
C. Evans
doi:10.1016/S0009-9260(03)00335-0
Clinical Radiology (2004) 59, 112–114
