BreastUltrasound.com, Thessaloniki, Greece, 2003, $97.76 for individuals; $271.56 for institutions
This intelligently written CD-ROM is ideal for breast imaging specialists. It begins with a wonderful seven minute video tour, and then allows the user to pick and choose an area of focus.
For example, there are 51 separate carefully chosen cases, each one with its own text, pictures, and video. If a reader only wants to look at the images, he can either select one of the 41 categories provided, or search for images by diagnosis. Or if someone seeks video-based learning, she can either select one of the 24 categories or search by diagnosis, once again.
In "Start here," the authors share their clinical and academical experiences. "Text" contains a dozen thoroughly written chapters on ultrasound basics, including physical principles, equipment, artifacts. Anatomy, histology and physiology are also covered. A beautiful breast pathology atlas is included and the section on breast ultrasound technique is clearly written.
Benign lesions are nicely detailed in 39 subchapters with pictures and videos accompanying each covered entity, from pseudolesions to complex cysts, foreign bodies and rare tumors.
Frequent (invasive ductal carcinoma) and rare (osteogenic sarcoma; metastases to the breast) malignant diseases are well explained in 34 subchapters with complete ultrasound criteria.
The 14 chapters on interventional procedures cover fine needle aspiration, cyst evacuation, and ultrasound-guided galactography. The "Learning on phantoms" subchapter is an excellent tool for novices.
The portion on postoperative breast discusses the role of ultrasound for prosthesis and breast reconstruction. The chapters on future applications of breast ultrasound fully describe techniques such as sonoelastography and ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation.
The index is very well done, providing direct links to case, pathology text, images, and video for every diagnosis. References can be searched by chapter, subchapter, or selected by name.
One weak component of this CD-ROM is the English voice-over narrative. Understanding the speaker’s pronounced foreign accent can be a challenge. Fortunately, the written explanations make up for that. Installing this CD-ROM is straightforward and allows the user to do either a partial or complete installation, based on the free space available on their PC. Thanks to specially provided Internet connections, a reader also can contact the editor, or search the Web, without ever having to leave the CD-ROM interface.
By Dr. Ana Roxana CovaliAuntMinnie.com contributing writer
August 29, 2003
Dr. Covali serves as a junior radiologist at the Elena Doamna Obstetrics and Gynecology University Hospital in Iasi, Romania. She also is a teaching assistant in the histology department at Gr. T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iasi. Dr. Covali is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in histology at Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest.
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