BOOK REVIEWS

Note: This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready
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some readers may have preferred the

cases to be grouped into organ systems
to permit more targeted review. There
is a search function available in the online cases that make this possible.
The price point of this book is good;
however, access to the online format is
limited to 1 yearwith discounted access
extension available if purchased before
or soon after the initial 1-year period.
Of interest, it appears that the price for
1 year of online-only access to RadCases
is the same as the book price (which
includes 1-year online access), making
the book purchase (with at least 100 cases
that do not expire) the smarter buy.
Some limitations of the online materials include the relatively small image
viewing port (less than one-half of the
screen; however, zoom and pan tools
are provided), the limited subscription
period, and the inability to control the
speed of the cines. In addition, at least
when using Firefox 5.0 on a Macintosh
computer, once a link to additional references is followed it is cumbersome to
return to the cases (the back button
is disabled).
Overall, this book provides an excellent
set of cases from well-respected educators in the field at a reasonable price and
is a good purchase for nuclear medicine
and/or radiology trainees.
Reviewed by Karen A. Kurdziel, MD

Primer of Diagnostic Imaging, 5th ed

Ralph Weissleder, Jack Wittenberg,
Mukesh G. Harisinghani,
and John W. Chen
Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier, 2011.
ISBN 978-0-323-06538-2. Softcover,
$125.00; pp 816.

adiology trainees and practicing

physicians face a daunting task in
assimilating and mastering the
broad knowledge base required to func-

662

tion as an effective radiologist. Presenting this information in a concise and

organized manner greatly facilitates
this learning process. Primer of Diagnostic Imaging, by American radiologists
Ralph Weissleder, MD, PhD, Jack Wittenberg, MD, Mukesh G. Harisinghani,
MD, and John W. Chen, MD, PhD, is the
fifth edition of a book written with this
goal in mind.
The book contains 14 chapters. Ten
chapters are based on organ systems,
one chapter reviews pediatric imaging,
one chapter reviews nuclear imaging, and
the final two chapters discuss contrast
agents and imaging physics. Chapters
are organized in a logical manner, comprehensively but not exhaustively categorizing and discussing disease states.
Imaging chapters end with a list of common differential diagnoses.
The authors have done an exemplary
job of cataloging a broad array of radiologic abnormalities in an understandable
and succinct manner. This edition has
substantially fewer pages than the previous, achieved mostly by organizing
typeset into two columns per page. This
change in format does not detract from
readability and certainly improves portability. This edition has addressed minor errors present in the prior edition,
has updated pathologic terminology, and
has incorporated further advances in
magnetic resonance imaging, positron
emission tomography, and computed
tomography. Typeset changes, the addition of color, and the use of glossier paper have resulted in a more readable and
professional appearance compared
with previous editions. No major errors or omissions are present.
Previous editions of this book have
maintained a ubiquitous presence beneath the arms of bleary-eyed final-year
residents preparing for board examinations. For many, the book has maintained its usefulness well beyond exam-

ination years as an accessible reference

presenting the broad topics encountered
in everyday practice clearly and approachably. Radiology residents and practicing
radiologists will undoubtedly and justifiably follow their predecessors and
use this book both during their years of
training and in clinical practice.
Reviewed by Michael L. Martin, MD

Diagnostic Imaging: Spine, 2nd ed

Jeffrey S. Ross, Kevin R. Moore,
Bryson Borg, Julia Crim,
and Lubdha M. Shah
Philadelphia, Pa: Amirsys, 2010.
ISBN 978-1-931884-87-7. Hardcover,
$339.00; pp 1000; 3780 figures.

his is an update of the 2004 reference book on diagnostic spine imaging. It is again organized according to diagnosis and now includes prose
introductory sections and tables, along
with 40 new diagnoses. Each topic now
starts with the Key Facts box, after
which there are introductory illustrations
and images followed by bullet-point information under standardized headings,
and ends with additional imaging examples. Image quality is even better than in
the first edition, and there are more
images pertaining to each diagnosis.
The included eBook version includes
additional text and images and is searchable by diagnosis. One feature that has
disappeared is the thumbnail images of
differential diagnoses, which were often
quite useful. Unfortunately, the eBook
version does not have hyperlinks from
the differential diagnosis section to provide quick access to images of these
other diagnostic considerations.
Overall, this is a welcome update to
an essential radiology reference book for
anyone interpreting diagnostic images of
the spine.
Reviewed by Jason Shewchuk, MD

radiology.rsna.org n Radiology: Volume 263: Number 3June 2012