Chest Radiology: The Essentials

Abstract

Book ReviewsChest Radiology: The Essentials Sarwat HussainFRCR, DABR Sarwat Hussain Professor and Chairman, Department of Radiology, MBC 28, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, P.O. Box 3354 Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia Search for more papers by this author Published Online::1 May 2000https://doi.org/10.5144/0256-4947.2000.339bSectionsPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload citationTrack citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail AboutIntroductionEdited by Jannette Collins and Eric Stern. Available from Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 1999. P.O. Box 1640, Hagerstown, MD 21741-1640, USA. Price: US$79. ISBN: 0-7817-1582-2.This book is based on a highly successful review course on chest radiology given by the authors. The contents of the course have been updated, enlarged and refined in this current book form. The hard-bound book has been organized into 18 chapters. The first two chapters provide an overview of the normal chest anatomy through line drawings superimposed on radiographs and richly labeled computed tomography (CT) images. This method of teaching is time tested and effective. This reviewer also uses the superimposition method with success in teaching medical students and junior residents. In describing the radiographic signs in “Chest Radiology” (Chapter 2), the authors have generously illustrated the contents by plain radiographs with CT correlation. But there are no slides for pathological correlation. The body of the book (chapters 3 through 13) describes disease pattern by anatomical location of the pathology, for example, CT and plain radiographic appearance of interstitial and alveolar lung disease, mediastinal and pleural pathology and other similar classifications. Chapter 14 deals with the analysis of a radiographic sign of unilateral hyperlucent lung, a commonly encountered radiographic problem. The important topics of neoplasms of the lung and disease pattern in immunocompromised patients are dealt with in separate chapters towards the end. Chapter 18 provides well-illustrated radiographs and CT scans for self-assessment review. The radiological illustrations are of very high quality.Learning objectives are enumerated at the beginning of every chapter, which will certainly help students, radiology residents, as well as clinicians to focus on relevant information. This book, as the authors concede, cannot be considered a source of reference in chest radiology, but it certainly fulfills the intended objective of providing the essentials of the subject. Medical students, residents, fellows, and even junior staff should find it a valuable source of relevant and reliable information. Stress has been laid on the understanding of the pathogenesis of the radiological findings rather than mere knowledge of facts in chest imaging.The absence of magnetic resonance (MR) illustrations seems to be intentional, as the majority of MR applications relate to the cardiovascular system and are not essential in the diagnosis of the diseases of the lungs and bronchi. Magnetic resonance imaging seems to be outside the scope of this book, however, a few MR images are included in chapter 17, where a brief discussion of the imaging of the cardiovascular system is presented.Both authors completed the Figley Fellowship in Radiology Journalism and have extensive teaching and publishing experience. One of the authors (JC) also has a Master's Degree in Education. The authors' teaching experience is reflected in the style and the organization of the book. The language used is simple and the description of the chapters revolves around the learning objective. References are made to relevant articles at the end of each chapter. The gamut of differential diagnoses is provided in easy-to-remember tables of acronyms. My favorite is CHIHUAHUAH for the 10 causes of pulmonary edema with a normal heart size!Each chapter deals with the practical aspect of its topic. Some of the best chapters include interstitial and alveolar lung disease and monitoring and support devices, i.e., tubes and lines. Chest Radiology: The Essentials should be part of all Department of Radiology and Department of Medicine libraries, especially in departments that are involved in teaching residents. Previous article Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 20, Issue 3-4May-July 2000 Metrics History Published online1 May 2000 InformationCopyright © 2000, Annals of Saudi MedicinePDF download