X-Ray Diagnosis of Congenital Cardiac Disease.

Abstract

X-Ray Diagnosis of Congenital Cardiac Disease succeeds well in living up to its title. The most appropriate adjectives for the book are sensible, clear, and well organized. The approach advocated by the authors is sensible and simple: first, analyze the extracardiac findings exclusive of lung vasculature; second, determine the status of the lung vasculature and the functional or hemodynamic nature of the underlying cardiac anomaly; third, determine the anatomical site of the malformation. After a lengthy introductory chapter, individual lesions are discussed under the organizational plan of: (1) shunts; (2) obstructive malformations; (3) cyanotic conditions; and (4) cardiac malpositions. The authors have selected an appropriate number of worthy illustrations. Further evidence of their sound judgment is the emphasis they place upon the fact that several anatomical conditions may share essentially the same functional abnormalities, and their warning to beware of inaccuracies in evaluating specific signs. The normal is stressed