Book review

Abstract

Teaching Atlas of Abdominal Imaging Harisinghani, Mukesh G. and Mueller, Peter R. New York: Thieme; 2009. $129.95; 544 pages; 528 illustrations; Hardcover William C. Small MD, PhD*, * Professor of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This book, edited by two well-known authorities in abdominal imaging, is a compendium of cases collected over a number of years during routine clinical cases encountered at the Massachusetts General Hospital. The cases take as their inspiration the habit of the abdominal division of sharing cases at the end of the day encountered by different members of the group so that each could see the “good” cases encountered by others. The format is preserved in this written form with a tremendous variety of 155 cases from all the central organ systems found within the abdomen as well as the female and male pelvis. These cases are divided into a total of nine clinical sections: liver, gallbladder and bile ducts, pancreas, spleen, kidneys and ureters, adrenal glands, GI tract/peritoneal cavity/retroperitoneum, bladder, and pelvis (female and male sections). The reader is presented first with a brief clinical presentation and then is immediately shown imaging from a variety of modalities including CT, ultrasound, MR, and fluoroscopy. The imaging findings are then cogently summarized followed by the diagnosis including a short differential. A discussion then follows broken into several categories including a brief background, clinical findings, complications of the disease process, etiology, a summary of imaging findings, treatment, and prognosis. The discussion sections end with several bullet-points including a single summary “pearl” and “pitfall.” A final section provides samples of common 64-slice CT imaging protocols. Corresponding MR protocols are not included, but there is some discussion of MR imaging strategies included in some of the cases. The format lends itself well to the reader quizzing themselves based on their own interpretation of the imaging findings of each case in light of the clinical presentation to see how they compare with the authors' diagnosis and differential. Although the number of cases limits the depth of coverage allotted to each case, the authors provide a good balance of variety and detail—although by design with somewhat of an emphasis on the former. The book will be particularly enjoyable to those relatively junior and provides a great foundation to diagnoses imagers of the abdomen need to recognize with confidence. The image quality is uniformly excellent and the writing style is easily accessible. Several helpful references are listed at the end of each case to allow further investigation. In summary, Teaching Atlas of Abdominal Imaging provides a wealth of cases to illustrate common abdominal and pelvic pathologies using modern imaging methods. The authors in the preface state that they “hope we have added to your teaching collection and education with good examples and discussions”—they have succeeded.