CLINICAL R A D I O L O G Y 599

Book Reviews

A Colour Atlas of Head and Neck Anatomy. By R. M. H. McMinn, R. T. Hu tchings and B. M. Logan. Wolfe Medical Publications Ltd, London. £ 18.00.

The success o f A ColourAtlas o f Human Anatomy, a spec- tacular record of dissection, has stimulated the authors to produce a companion volume dealing solely with the head and neck. This more modest production, intended for both undergraduate and post-graduate, benefits again from hand- some colour photography of exquisitely detailed dissections. Identification numbers overlying individual structures are unobtrusive and with a key on the opposite page enable the reader to carry out serf-assessment. Accompanying notes with each key, whilst not intended to be comprehensive, are excellent and, in some instances, add valuable clinical flavour. Sections on the orbit and the infratemporal fossa are particu- laxly interesting to the radiologist, though for those accus- tomed to CT imaging it is disconcerting to have the transverse sections on pages 124 and 134 presented 'upside down'.

The short radiological section tacked on at the end of the book is a disappointment. The 11 radiographs are of indiffer- ent quality and contrast markedly with the earlier high- quality photography. What a marvellous opportunity missed to present some complementary, modern radiology of living anatomy to the student! Just a few CT images and subtrac- tion angiograms would have made all the difference.

Ian Isherwood

A Colour Atlas of Respiratory Diseases. By D. Geraint James and Peter R. Studdy. Wolfe Medical Publications, London. 272 pp., 794 figs. £45.00.

The many radiographs, colour photographs and diagrams make this a most attractive book to read. The first haft of the book is devoted to the different radiological patterns seen in chest diseases, and the second half to disease entities or groups of diseases. This format has unfortunately led to a certain amount of repetition with radiographs of several conditions being given in both halves of the book. The book is designed as a pictorial atlas of chest diseases for medical students, postgraduates working for higher degrees, nurses and for paramedical personnel. Because of this, lists of diseases, causes of diseases, radiographic patterns, etc. are given in a dogmatic manner and much in them is debatable. Unfortunately, also, some are misleading or frankly incorrect. One example is in the tables of disorders giving rise to the tYpes I to IV of immune reactions of Gell and Coombes where broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis is only listed under type IV, yet in another table of disorders giving rise to these reactions, broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis is given as involving

types I, III and possibly IV. A second example is in the list of infections causing diffuse interstitial patterns where Legionnaire's disease is listed as being due to a virus infection, yet under pneumonia, a few chapters later, this disease is correctly ascribed to a bacterial infection. Nevertheless, there is a wealth of useful information in the book, and with the high quality of illustrations it has much to offer. The integra- tion of the radiology and the clinical aspects of chest diseases is important to the student and the book does much to achieve this. I t is, as the authors say, a pictorial supplement to the numerous textbooks on the subject.

I. H. Kerr

Chest Radiology - Patterns and Differential Diagnoses. By James C Reed. Year Book Medical Publishers, 1981. 338 pp. £32.25.

It is tough for chest radiologists who aspire to literary recog- nition. Fraser and Par6 have the market cornered as far as the 'Bible' is concerned. Numerous inexpensive pocket-book monographs exist, primarily aimed at the student. Hence the need for something in the middle ground, aimed, as stated in the Preface, at residents. James Reed's book clearly succeeds in meeting the resident's demands in contents, length, price and good referencing.

The author continues to please the trainee by using day- to-day reporting problems (elevated diaphragm, mediastinal mass, solitary pulmonary nodule) as the topics for each chapter. This should hopefully be close to the format of any viva, for which useful lists of differential diagnoses are pro- vided. Each possible diagnosis is then discussed in turn, with helpful pros and cons to give a manageable short list in any given situation. I enjoyed the author's obvious interest in the pathological features of the various conditions.

Each chapter begins with a series of radiographic problems leading to a list of multiple choice type questions. My curio- sity made me try to answer these questions at once and I found it a little irritating to have to thumb through to the end of the chapter to hit upon the page giving the correct answers. Even when I broke this habit I experienced difficulty in 'carrying' the questions in my mind until the end of the chapter. My only other faint criticism is the inevitable difficulty in finding a succinct answer about a specific disease in a problem-related book. For instance, comprehen- sive information about sarcoidosis requires 15 trips to the index.

These minor criticisms apart, this book will serve the pros- pective FRCR candidate well - especially one who has left revision late.

Adrian Dixon