The Asian-Oceanian Textbook of Radiology

EXPERT REVIEWS

Diagnostic Imaging Europe
April 2004
Imaging News
Book Review
By: Zhonghua Sun, Ph.D.

Editors: Prof. Wilfred C.G. Peh, Singapore, and Prof. Yoshihiro Hiramatsu, Tokyo

Publisher: TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd, Singapore.

Fax +65 6536 8639 www.asianradiology.com

Price: US$120

This 1300-page textbook, which covers all the body systems and includes 2388 illustrations, was compiled by 80 authors from 15 Asia-Pacific countries. Most of the 55 chapters were contributed by radiologists with specific experience in the areas under discussion. Authors represent well-known institutions throughout the region. The comprehensive textbook is augmented by normal and abnormal images and schematic drawings. References are provided at the end of each chapter.

One of the book's advantages is that it first covers normal regional anatomy of each organ system, followed by the pathologies. In that respect, it fulfills the role of an expansive textbook on the imaging of various systems. The outstanding anatomic figures will allow readers to understand and learn the basic anatomy essential to medical imaging. The images represent all modalities and are of excellent quality.

Another valuable feature of the book is information about the newly diagnosed disease SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). Radiology has an important role in the assessment of patients suspected of having this highly contagious and lethal viral infection. The chapter on this subject will provide clinicians and radiologists with essential information to help treat the disease.

I came across some minor omissions. A discussion on page 66 of 2D and 3D postprocessing methods is incomplete, and the description of multidetector CT on page 69 is relatively superficial. MDCT is replacing single-slice CT worldwide, and its main advantages lie in coronary artery and vascular imaging.

On page 151, PET in oncology is described in detail, but PET/CT fusion has proven to be superior to PET or CT imaging alone in tumor staging. On page 390, it would be appropriate to say that pulmonary sequestration instead of intralobar sequestration is a developmental anomaly because sequestration consists of both intralobar and extralobar sequestration.

As diffuse panbronchiolitis was first reported in Japan and most cases were found in Asian countries, some discussion of the epidemiology and etiology would be useful on pages 404-405. And on page 480, it would be worthwhile to provide schematic diagrams showing the classification systems of aortic dissection. As mentioned, enhanced CT is the best method to establish a diagnosis of dissecting hematoma, but the book provides only a plain radiographic image (Figure 21.34) to demonstrate a type 3 dissecting aneurysm, and it is hard to visualize the dissection. A contrast-enhanced CT scan would demonstrate the type of aortic dissection, as well as the true and false lumen. Finally, there is a typographical error on page 1042: metacarpophalamgeal should be metacarpophalangeal.

Despite these errors, I would grade this book as excellent. It conveys the experience of many authors very well and is a useful reference on many diseases routinely seen in daily practice. I recommend it to both radiologists and nonradiological practitioners. It should certainly find a place in the library of radiology departments.

Dr. Sun is an attending radiologist at Peking Union Medical College Hospital and a lecturer at the School of Applied Medical Sciences and Sports Studies, University of Ulster, U.K.