Abstract
This is a very good and comprehensive reference of thoracic imaging in the dog and cat. This material will be useful to students, practicing veterinarians and radiologists. The information includes very basic fundamentals to more advanced problem solving and imaging modalities.
Chapter 1 is an excellent overview of thoracic radiography including guidelines for image acquisition, and interpretation. Everyone should keep this section handy and review it on a regular basis (this includes technicians and assistants involved in radiograph acquisition). Chapter 2 is a very thorough overview of echocardiography. There are very good reference tables of normal parameters in the appendix. Chapters 3–5 are a good basic introduction to advanced and cross-sectional imaging including computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear medicine. Chapter 6 is offered as an introduction to interventional radiology. These chapters will help the student and practicing veterinarian to understand the benefit of these modalities in a referral institute and when they may be an appropriate diagnostic or therapeutic tool.
Chapters 7–14 each address a section of thoracic imaging in a very comprehensive fashion. These include heart and major vessels, mediastinum, oesophagus, trachea, bronchial tree, lung parenchyma, pleural space and thoracic boundries. Each chapter utilizes great images including schematic drawings, radiographs, contrast studies and advanced imaging when appropriate to thoroughly depict normal anatomy and disease processes. Gross pathology specimens and histopathology sections are also utilized to correlate anatomy and disease to images shown. There is a very thorough inclusion of pathological process from the most commonly seen to those that are more obscure. Clinical presentation is often described. Differential diagnoses for imaging findings are listed when appropriate as well as suggestions for further imaging that may be useful. Throughout the text, the reader is reminded about differences in interpretation due to size, breed and species; the reader is also appropriately cautioned about pitfalls of interpretation when appropriate. Tables are used to organize information at various places throughout the text.
This textbook will be a very appropriate and useful reference for anyone involved in thoracic imaging. Students will benefit greatly from the excellent description and depiction of normal anatomy and basic common pathology. The general practitioner will find this text useful as a refresher for basic imaging but also to aid a more thorough understanding of the correlation between disease processes and two-dimentional imaging. The radiologist will find this valuable as a reference tool and a teaching aid. This book is a ‘must have’ for any radiology resident. A reference such as this has been difficult to access since Thoracic Radiography: a Text Atlas of Thoracic Imaging by Suter and Lord was taken out of print. I am grateful to the editors and contributors for taking on this project and offering such an important and comprehensive text.