200
Surg Neurol
1986;25:199-201
issue of the AmericanJournal of Neuroradiology is a singularly
important and current source of information about magnetic
resonance imaging of the nervous system, and the Editor of
SURGICALNEUROLOGY felt that it deserved a review normally
reserved for textbooks and monographs.
With 24 of its 27 articles devoted to some aspect of the
procedure, this issue resembles a brief textbook on magnetic
resonance imaging of the nervous system. Some of the articles
discuss the imaging of certain anatomic locations such as the
cavernous sinus or orbit; others deal with the imaging of specific disease processes, e.g., brainstem tumors and multiple
sclerosis. Certain papers, such as one on the imaging of the
Chiari I malformation and one on the imaging of syringomyelia, are destined to become landmark papers. Several other
articles present some of the physics of magnetic resonance
imaging and have much less clinical appeal. One aspect common to most of the technical articles, and one that might prove
useful to clinicians, is the inclusion of the various pulse sequences used to provide the best images of a particular location
or disease process. The authors of the various articles are quick
to point out that whereas magnetic resonance imaging is, or
is rapidly becoming, the diagnostic procedure of choice for
disorders such as Chiari I malformation, hydromyelia, and
brainstem tumors, computed tomography remains superior to
magnetic resonance imaging for lumbar disk disease and
meningiomas.
Of greatest value to the neophyte in this issue of the American Journal of Neuroradiology is the rational information provided about the expanding role of magnetic resonance imaging
in the diagnostic workup of the neurosurgical patient. In a
field that is so rapidly changing, this particular journal issue
is a significant publication and is worthwhile reading for every
neurosurgeon.
STUART LEE, M.D.
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Perinatal Neurology and Neurosurgery
Edited by R.A. Thompson, J.R. Green, and
S.D. Johnson. 218 pp. $40.00. Jamaica, New York:
Spectrum Publications Inc., 1985.
This book presents the topics presented at the 10th Annual
Symposium of the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix,
Arizona. The symposium was devoted to neonatal neurology
and neurosurgery. Consequently there are excellent chapters
on experimental fetal neurosurgery and on the pathology of
hypoxia, ischemia, and intraventricular hemorrhage in the
neonate.
A significant portion of the book is devoted to the assessment of the neonate who has sustained a brain insult. This
includes chapters on neuroradiology, neurophysiologic studies, and clinical assessment. There is a chapter on neurosurgical
management of spinal defects, as well as chapters on neonatal
intensive care including management of respiratory problems.
The volume concludes with a chapter on ethical and economic issues that pertain to the management of the neonate
with congenital and acquired central nervous system defects.
Book Reviews
This book contains excellent material on neuropathology
and neurology of the neonate. The information presented in
this book will be of value to neurosurgeons and neurologists
who are managing neonates with central nervous system disease.
HAROLD J. HOFFMAN, M.D.
Toronto, Ontario
Imaging Anatomy of the Head and Spine.
By H . M . Schnitzlein and F. Reed Murtagh. 323 pp.
$149.50. Baltimore: U r b a n and Schwarzenberg, 1985.
This is a new text that comprehensively and elegantly displays
a comparative study of normal computed tomography (CT),
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and anatomic sections.
The presentation of radiographs coupled with anatomic crosssections is logically organized. The format of the book is
straightforward and functional, consisting of sets of serial anatomic or histological sections accompanied by the corresponding CT and MRI images. The anatomic sections are noteworthy for their attention to detail and the reproductions are
superlative in quality. Accompanying each set of sections are
several paragraphs of text describing the anatomy depicted
along with some brief clinical correlations.
The book is divided into chapters according to anatomic
structures and plane of imaging. The brain is imaged in three
planes of section using CT and MRI, along with the corresponding gross and histologic sections. The orbits, ventricles,
and cisterns are displayed with CT and gross material. The
cervical spine is demonstrated in CT, whereas the thoracic and
lumbar spine is imaged in CT and MRI, as well as gross and
microscopic sections. There are separate sections covering the
surface anatomy of the brain, the vasculature of the brain, and
CT sections of the larynx.
The method of organization chosen by the authors is clear
and lends itself easily to locating the sections of interest quickly.
The presentation of anatomic sections along with the corresponding CT and MRI images serves to illustrate the differences between the two modalities. This book is an excellent
reference text in normal CT and MRI anatomy and would be
a useful addition to any neuroradiology library. It would also
serve as a helpful reference for neurologists, neurosurgeons,
opthalmologists, and otorhinolaryngologists in training.
PATRICK R. JACOB, M.D.
RONALD G. QUISLING, M.D.
ALBERT L. R H O T O N , Jr., M.D.
Gainesville, Florida
Handbook of Critical Care Neurology
and Neurosurgery
Edited by R o b e r t J. H e n n i n g and David L. Jackson.
288 pp. $39.95. N e w York: Praeger Publishers, 1985.
This relatively small book was edited by two full-time faculty
members from the Case Western Reserve University School
of Medicine, who also contributed two of the chapters it contains. The other contributors are also outstanding specialists
from across the country. The book was not meant to be a small