In these days of instant on-line help and rapid access to images of all descriptions, one might be forgiven for asking why bother to buy a textbook at all? To have a browse between the batters of the 4th edition of Imaging of Diseases of the Chest will show you why.
The ideal radiological textbook should not only provide an encyclopaedic collection of first class images, but should bring to life the hard won experience of the authors in a readable and memorable style as this does. The book is divided into seventeen chapters with four introductory sections covering techniques, the normal chest and basic patterns of lung disease on plain films and HRCT. The remaining sections cover in detail virtually all areas of respiratory imaging including infection, pulmonary vascular disease, idiopathic lung diseases, neoplasia, congenital anomalies and trauma.
Unlike many other textbooks which simply receive a new jacket with each new edition, this book, which is a must have for the general radiologist as well as the chest specialist, has been completely revised, re-referenced and expanded by 20%. The images have been re-edited and updated. The quality of the chest radiographs in particular is excellent.
The new edition has sensibly stuck with the same well-tried chapter format, but with significantly expanded sections in a number of areas including the idiopathic interstitial pneumonias and the use of PET in lung cancer staging. Comprehension of the pathological categorisation and radiological description of the idiopathic interstitial pneumonias is rather like understanding Einstein's theory of relativity - something that you are seduced into thinking you have grasped (and strangely makes you feel better for it) simply for it to slip through the gratings of your mind the next time that you ruminate on it). Well, thankfully, the whole business has been revised and simplified (again) and as you might expect from a textbook with David Hansell at the helm, has been well laid out in the appropriate chapters on HRCT and idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. Individual sections have maintained their easy to read style which start with an overview of the pathology, epidemiology and clinical manifestations of the condition followed by an authoritative description of the radiological features.
When reviewing the labours of the learned one is allowed to be critical but with this book only two issues came to mind. Firstly, the small but useful section on interventional techniques at the back of the previous edition has been dropped presumably on the basis that interventional textbooks are the best place for this information. Secondly, the single volume is now getting on for the size that could itself cause chest trauma if being read in bed at night. The next edition will almost certainly have to move to two volumes.
For me, the best radiological textbooks have a logical layout, cover all the small print conditions in sufficient detail, have clear images with high visual impact and have a relaxed writing style, making the facts easier to remember. This new edition fulfils all of these criteria and should be on every reporting room shelf.
Editorial Manager for Clinical Radiology
"Many consider Imaging of Diseases of the Chest to be the best single-volume chest reference available. This tome offers over 1,200 pages of comprehensive, painstakingly referenced text. This latest edition offers 200 new pages as well as several excellent tables, drawings and, most importantly, images.
The 17 chapters start with basic chest radiology patterns and then expand into pathological diagnosis including infection, neoplasm, interstitial disease, and trauma. The authors offer a basic understanding of chest radiology before delving into detailed descriptions of specific findings. The chapter on basic patterns in lung disease is an excellent introduction, and could even stand alone as an introductory text for the beginning radiologist.
The images (there are over 1,800) are a good mix of plain-film, CT and MR. There is also an excellent chapter on high-resolution CT patterns. Each disease process, from common to rare, has at least one high quality example image. The nuances of diagnosis are described clearly and succinctly.
Imaging of Diseases of the Chest can easily be considered "the book" on the subject matter."
auntminnie.com, July 2005
David M. Hansell, Professor of Thoracic Imaging, Department of Radiology, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK; Peter Armstrong, Professor of Radiology, Academic Department of Radiology, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, UK; David A. Lynch, Professor of Radiology and Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Colorado Health Services Center, Denver, Colorado, USA; and H. Page McAdams, MD, Associate Professor of Radiology, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
