Spine: Top 100 Diagnoses by Michael Brant-Zawadzki, Mark Z. Chen, Kevin R. Moore, Karen L. Salzman, and Anne G. Osborn
Elsevier Science, St. Louis, 2002, soft-cover, $49.95; PDA software, $69.95
The major strengths of this 300-page soft-cover book are the information accompanying every diagnosis and its inexpensive price. Its major limitation is the tiny size of many of the images.
The diagnoses are organized into eleven categories: congenital, trauma, degenerative, infections, inflammatory/autoimmune, neoplasms, non-neoplastic cysts and masses, post-operative complications, vascular lesions, vertebral marrow changes, and peripheral nerve/plexus imaging.
Information about the 109 "conditions" are summarized in tables that include key facts, clinical issues, imaging findings, pathology, differential diagnoses, and references.
Every case features one to four high-resolution images. MR images predominate, but examples of radiographs, CT images, bone scans, and full color anatomic-pathologic computer graphic images are also included. The high-resolution images are printed on top-quality paper and represent excellent examples of the pathologies presented. Unfortunately, many of the reproductions are too small to clearly depict the important findings. The captions accompanying each image are brief but informative.
Even though the books in this series are not meant to be encyclopedic in scope, a wide range of disorders and a surprising amount of information are included in each category of disease. Every disorder is referenced with up to three current and pertinent citations.
This book is an inexpensive reference that is particularly useful for radiology residents in their neuroimaging and spine rotations and board exam preparations. The PDA format may be a handier way to store and retrieve information about each of these spine diagnoses.
By Dr. John A.M. TaylorAuntMinnie.com contributing writer
July 2, 2002
Dr. Taylor is a professor of radiology at the New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls, NY. He is the co-author of Skeletal Imaging: Atlas of the Spine and Extremities.
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