Differential Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disease by X-ray.

Abstract

The stated purpose of this book is to aid the practicing physician in the differential diagnosis of cardiovascular disease by providing him with a quick, systematic, and comprehensive method of correlating the abnormalities visualized by roentgenographic techniques with the results of clinical examination and laboratory tests. This is certainly a laudable aspiration. Unfortunately, in my opinion, these aims were not achieved. The book consists of five chapters of text and an atlas of 98 roentgenographic plates. The authors approach the differential diagnosis of cardiovascular disease from the point of view of the chest roentgenogram. They divide abnormalities into various diagnostic lists depending on the condition of the pulmonary vascular markings (increased, normal, or decreased), and the size of the main pulmonary arterial segment (convex, flat, or concave). In general, the subdivisions are based on abnormalities of the chest roentgenogram which occur as a consequence of pathophysiology. This provides a valuable