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Show BOOK REVIEWS Section Editor: Steven A. Newman, MD Neuro-Ophthalmology Review Manual, 6th Edition Lanning B. Kline, MD. Slack Inc., Thorofare, NJ, 2008. ISBN 978-1-55642-789-3, $50.95. Scope: Although it has been almost 30 years since the first edition of this ‘‘nuts and bolts'' neuro-ophthalmic guide, it remains a valuable resource. The spirit of the original text authored by Frank Bajandas, MD (now deceased) has been maintained by Lanning Kline, MD, in this 6th edition. It is true to its mission to be ‘‘A readable compendium of 'no-nonsense' neuro-ophthalmology,'' and the format remains easy to read and generously supplemented by figures, illustrations, anatomic diagrams, and summary tables. This edition updates the previous one with new information, expanded references, 28 tables, 138 figures, and an enjoyable quiz of 33 visual field exercises of various levels of difficulty and complexity. In addition, there are revised and updated chapters on supranuclear and inter-nuclear gaze pathways (Mark F. Walker, MD), headache (John E. Carter, MD), eyelids (Jennifer T Scruggs, MD), visual fields, and nystagmus and related ocular oscillations. Strengths: This book is easy to follow and quick to read and thus enduringly popular with residents and medical students. The outline format and outstanding and creative use of black and white cleanly drawn illustrations, figures, anatomic diagrams, and tables distinguish it from drier review books. Weaknesses: The outline format requires the reader to have some basic understanding of the material. Brief coverage occasionally leads to uneven depth in some sections. Although the outline format makes for easy reading, filling in the gaps between the bullet items might be a challenge for the beginner. In some chapters the abbrevia-tions are not clearly identified. These are, however, minor quibbles. Recommended Audience: This edition will, like its predecessors, be useful for general practitioners and especially residents and fellows in ophthalmology, neurol-ogy, and neurosurgery who seek a handy reference. Critical Appraisal: This book remains an invaluable review manual for residents, fellows, and clinicians on topics of clinical interest in neuro-ophthalmology. I recommend it often to my own residents and fellows when they ask me for an easy-to-read, affordable, review book. Andrew G. Lee, MD Department of Ophthalmology University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa Rapid Diagnosis in Ophthalmology: Neuro-Ophthalmology Jonathan D. Trobe, MD. Mosby Elsevier, Philadelphia, 2008. ISBN 978-0-323-04456-1, $69.95. Scope: This ready-to-go, single-authored manual slides comfortably into a busy clinician's pocket. It contains an abbreviated storehouse of common disorders affecting both the visual and ocular motor systems that reflects Dr. Trobe's extensive experience. Strengths: The format is well organized and standardized into key facts, common findings, differential diagnosis, ancillary tests, treatment, and prognosis. The information is provided in a bulleted form with highlights and lively color photographs, neuroimages, and graphic illustrations of eye movement disorders. Weaknesses: If the reader is looking for a discussion of pathogenesis or a justification of concepts and recommen-dations, it is not found here. There are no references. Quantitative data are rounded off, and the outline style forgoes discussion. Judgment is implied for the use of ancillary testing, and perspective is limited. Recommended Audience: In providing a ready reference for those seeking quick answers in a fast-paced practice, this work is on the mark. The presentation is concise, accurate, and stimulating. It would also be very useful for interested students and beginning residents in both ophthalmology and neurology. Critical Appraisal: As a frontline text for rapid organi-zation and direction, this is a highly useful pocketbook. Neuro-ophthalmologists will also appreciate it as a gener-ator of referrals. John B. Selhorst, MD Department of Neurology and Psychiatry Saint Louis University School of Medicine St. Louis, Missouri 78 J Neuro-Ophthalmol, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2009 Book Reviews J Neuro-Ophthalmol, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2009 Neuro-Ophthalmology [Blue Book of Neurology Series] Desmond P. Kidd, MD, Nancy J. Newman, MD, and Valerie Biousse, MD. Butterworth-Heinemann Elsevier, Philadelphia, 2008. ISBN 978-0-7506-7548-2, $139.00. Scope: This text is part of the series of Blue Books designed to summarize important topics in neurology. It serves as a neuro-ophthalmology primer covering a broad range of topics. The text is 375 pages, multiauthored, and full of color illustrations and numerous radiographs. The book is divided into 14 different chapters with one or more authors each. The chapter title page includes an outline and several key points that serve to emphasize important and current topics. Within each chapter are extensive titles and subtitles that serve to organize the chapters in a fairly standardized fashion. The editors have succeeded in having the authors accomplish the goal of the text, namely, to provide a general summary on the topic while emphasizing con-temporary information. Strengths: Numerous experts in the field author the chapters. For instance, there are chapters on optic nerve tumors by Neil Miller, MD, hereditary optic neuropathies by Nancy Newman, MD, transient vision loss by Valerie Biousse, MD, and optic neuritis by Desmond Kidd, MD, and Gordon Plant, MD. The authors uniformly succeed in providing concise and up-to-date summaries emphasizing the most important information. They have done an admirable job of making the text fairly comprehensive despite the manageable size of the book. The initial chapter on anatomy and diagnostic techniques is an excellent resource and the type of material that I would recommend copying and distributing to residents in ophthalmology and neurology as they begin to learn neuro-ophthalmology Other notable chapters include those on transient monoc-ular vision loss and hereditary optic neuropathies. The chapter on pupillary disorders provides an excellent summary of pupillary anatomy and physiology. Finally, the chapter on cortical visual disorders is a well-written rendering of a difficult topic. The illustrations and figures are all produced in a high-quality fashion and include excellent descriptive legends. Weaknesses: There are no glaring weaknesses except for some unevenness in page distribution for certain topics. For instance, the chapter on acquired ocular motility disorders and nystagmus contains less than 1 page about third cranial nerve palsy. Each chapter uses references to a different degree, sometimes leaving the reader to wish for more extensive access to the primary literature. Several figures would have benefited from more careful labeling and arrows to highlight pathologic lesions. Recommended Audience: This book is well-suited to residents in training in neurology and ophthalmology and practitioners who are interested in a concise and manageable read and an update on contemporary thinking in this field. Critical Appraisal: This is an excellent textbook with superb authors, high-quality figures, and a comprehensive review and update. Even an experienced neuro-ophthal-mologist would enjoy reading the opinions of experts. Nicholas J. Volpe, MD Department of Ophthalmology Scheie Eye Institute University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Sankara Nethralaya Atlas of Neuro-Ophthalmology, 2nd Edition Dsatya Karna, DNB, Ambika S, DNB, Padmaja S, DNB, et al. Jaypee Brothers, New Dehli, India, 2008. ISBN 978-1-904798-33-0, $180.00. Scope: This is a pictorial atlas of neuro-ophthalmic find-ings accompanied in many cases with imaging and text describing the condition and references about the condition. As in any atlas, the book has numerous illustrations, most of high quality. The book is organized into afferent dis-orders, efferent disorders, congenital disorders, infective disorders, vascular disorders, tumors, phacomatoses, and miscellaneous disorders. Disorders are alphabetically arranged. Each disorder starts with general information on clinical manifestations, evaluation, and treatment fol-lowed by references. The text is accompanied by color photographs and imaging. The last section consists of 36 multiple choice questions about conditions covered in the atlas with explanations of the answers. The index is fairly complete. Strengths: Although this is a multiauthored atlas, the style is consistent. Its major strength is that it is readable, concise, and well illustrated. Weaknesses: Conditions that do not lend themselves well to illustration are less well represented. For example, 79 J Neuro-Ophthalmol, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2009 Book Reviews omissions include tonic pupil, horizontal gaze palsies, third cranial nerve palsy due to aneurysm, and nystagmus. Some images are inappropriate. For example, in dis-cussing anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION), the authors chose an angiogram of the carotid arteries in an individual with transient monocular blindness. Some references are not relevant. For example, in the discussion of arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy, the authors use a reference dealing with the nonarteritic variant of this condition. In the illustrations, identifying arrows would have been helpful. The illustration of the three-step test could have benefited from the use of labels. Recommended Audience: Medical students, ophthalmol-ogists, neurologists, and neurosurgeons who want a quick take will find this atlas useful. Neuro-ophthalmologists will find it useful in teaching students. Critical Appraisal: This atlas is a fine introduction to neuro-ophthalmic conditions, particularly those that can be summarized with brief text and illustration. In future editions, the authors wish to include more eye movement disorders with perhaps a CD or references to where eye movement videos can be found. Kathleen B. Digre, MD Moran Eye Center University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah The Pseudotumor Cerebri Syndrome: Pseudotumor Cerebri, Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, Benign Intracranial Hypertension, and Related Conditions Ian Johnston, PhD, Brian Owler, PhD, and John Pickard, MD. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK, 2007. ISBN 0-521-86919-6, $170.00. Scope: Written from a neurosurgical perspective, this monograph provides an authoritative and comprehensive review of conditions causing increased intracranial pres-sure, including historical, clinical, experimental, and treatment perspectives. Strengths: The neurosurgical approach to increased intracranial pressure is detailed, thoughtful, and thorough. An excellent historical and nosological perspective on 80 conditions causing raised intracranial pressure is provided. There is a wonderful section on history of the condition. In this section, the authors weave in details of seminal studies, nosology, and advances in neuroimaging. The chapter on clinical investigations is excellent and thoughtful. A historical perspective is provided. The section on continuous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure monitoring is superb as are the other neurosurgical and neuroradiologic sections. This chapter has much useful information and itself is worth the price of the book. The sections on treatment using corticosteroids, sub-temporal decompression, and CSF shunting are especially informative, and these discussions are among the best available. The chapter is comprehensive in detail except for a deficiency with regard to perimetric outcomes. Author-itative strategies for treatment with an approach biased toward neurosurgical techniques are given; the recommended strategies are certainly not mainstream neuro-ophthalmology but make for interesting reading. Weaknesses: There is an unbalanced emphasis on nosology, resulting at times in a disorganized grouping of conditions causing elevated intracranial pressure. The discussion of the clinical syndrome is incomplete owing to a lack of emphasis on series with prospective data collection. Treatment decisions are somewhat more driven by neurosurgical interventions than the more widely used perimetric and optic disc observations. The authors define pseudotumor cerebri syndrome (PTCS) broadly, including any condition that causes impairment of CSF absorption at the point of transfer of the fluid from subarachnoid space to dural venous system. Although this makes theoretical sense, the authors admit that this mechanism remains unproven. Moreover, alterna-tive mechanisms are not presented in detail. The authors propose that there is a close analogy between PTCS and hydrocephalus. They stretch this to include communicating hydrocephalus and infantile macro-cephaly. Their argument is speculative, interesting, and provocative but unconvincing. Although generally thor-ough, the chapter on clinical manifestations is hindered by lack of data from published prospective data collections that give more accurate estimates. For example, the authors quote a 10% frequency of tinnitus, which is 60% in pros-pective series that ask patients if they have this symptom. The chapter on treatment suffers from the inclusion of a diverse number of conditions that fall under their rubric of PTCS. Pregnancy is included as a cause, although case-control studies have shown otherwise. Recommended Audience: Neuro-ophthalmologists, neu-rosurgeons, and neurologists with an interest in the PTCS and idiopathic intracranial hypertension will find this book useful. q 2009 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Book Reviews J Neuro-Ophthalmol, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2009 Critical Appraisal: This is a useful reference text. It has a very neurosurgical flavor, which is not surprising given the background of the authors. The sections on history, intracranial pressure monitoring, and neurosurgically based treatments are especially well done. Those interested in disorders of increased intracranial pressure will want this monograph on their shelves. Michael Wall, MD Department of Neurology University of Iowa College of Medicine Iowa City, Iowa Rapid Diagnosis in Ophthalmology: Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Mitchell B. Strominger, MD. Mosby Elsevier, Philadelphia, 2008. ISBN 978-0-323-05168-2, $69.95. Scope: This is one of a series of 6 pocket-sized books intended to serve as reference guides. It is organized into 14 chapters covering amblyopia, infectious diseases, inflam-matory conditions, congenital anomalies, esotropia, exo-tropia, vertical misalignments, thyroid eye disease, orbital fibrosis, myasthenia gravis, congenital nystagmus, and spasmus nutans. The chapters review up to 18 diagnoses in succinct outline format covering key facts about each disease condition, its clinical findings, ancillary testing, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Most conditions are covered within 1 page of bulleted outline text, and all but 5 are accompanied by clear color photographs, many of which have been borrowed from Taylor and Hoyt's exten-sive text on pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus. Strengths: This is an easy-to-read and easy-to-use book that covers more than just the basics of the most common conditions in pediatric ophthalmology. The sections on TORCH infections, allergic eye disease, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), child abuse, and the phakomatoses are particularly well written. Weaknesses: As with any book of this nature, the weaknesses are primarily in what has been left out, such as Stargardt disease, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, hereditary optic neuropathies, and de Morsier syndrome. Information is sometimes sparse and always unreferenced. Many of the photographic pages include only one image, with large amounts of empty space that could have been used for additional pertinent figures or clarifying text. Critical Appraisal: This book will be a very useful clinical adjunct for medical students, residents, and fellows, as well as ophthalmologists who have not specialized in pediatric ophthalmology but who examine children. R. Michael Siatkowski, MD Dean A. McGee Eye Institute University of Oklahoma College of Medicine Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oxford Handbook of Ophthalmology Alastair K. O. Denniston and Philip I. Murray, MD. Oxford University Press, New York, 2006. ISBN 978-0-19-853037-4; $55.00. Scope: This is a reference for practicing ophthalmologists and residents in training. It aims to be somewhat compre-hensive yet portable. The first 2 chapters on examination and test interpretation are really more applicable for those early in their practice of ophthalmology. The second major section of the book addresses the more common diagnoses associated with different sections of the eye, orbit, and central nervous system. There are small discussions of the diagnoses within each of these entities. The last section of the book is essentially an appendix with some miscellane-ous information. Strengths: The authors accomplish the goal to produce a book that can be referenced easily throughout the day, during consults, patient encounters, and rounds yet be comprehensive. There are helpful hints in the examination and test interpretation sections. The diagnosis section hits most important topics. The references to evidence are beneficial. This manual is superior to many other eye manuals in that it has more than just treatment options. Weaknesses: As with most reference books, there is never enough information. Some of the anatomy and physiology text seemed out of place except in a reference for beginning residents, which just adds volume to an already voluminous book. The appendix and miscellaneous section also had information that is misplaced in a reference text. Recommended Audience: This book is aimed more to residents than to seasoned clinicians, especially the beginning chapters and anatomy discussions. However, it does have valuable information for those in practice. Critical Appraisal: This reference is useful especially for residents and provides a little more information than the traditional eye manuals. 81 J Neuro-Ophthalmol, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2009 Book Reviews Laura D. Cook, MD Department of Ophthalmology University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia Garner and Klintworth's Pathobiology of Ocular Diseases, 3rd Edition Gordon K. Klintworth, PhD, and Alec Garner, MD, PhD. Informa Healthcare, New York, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8493-9816-2, $699.95. Scope: This two-volume set encompasses current knowledge of anatomic pathology, cell biology, molecular biology, and biochemistry of ocular disease. Numerous authors provide a multidisciplinary depth of information unmatched in current eye pathology texts. The book is organized by mechanisms rather than anatomic areas. Unification of the chapter format is achieved from a set outline permitting easy transition between chapters despite the multiple writers. A great deal of space has been allocated for detailed presentations of etiologic aspects of various disease pro-cesses. The intended audience includes ocular pathologists, neuropathologists, ophthalmologists, and scientists working in disciplines such as immunology, genetics, and cell biology. Strengths: This unique textbook is designed to promote the understanding of disease processes. It is meticulously referenced and contains an enormous amount of detail concerning the genetics and cell biology of ocular disease. Most chapters provide interesting historical information, superb pathophysiologic explanations, and exhaustive tables. The outstanding quality of many chapters such as Genetic Disorders of the Cornea, authored by Klintworth, exemplifies the expertise of the authors. Weaknesses: Illustrations, all black and white, vary in quality. The ambitious attempt to explore the pathogenesis of so many topics has taken some authors to their limits and accounts for some omissions. For example, tear lipocalin, a siderophore binding protein, is overlooked in the discussion of microbial competition for iron in the tear film. To stay current, the work will require frequent updates. Recommended Audience: This is an excellent reference textbook for scientists and pathologists who work with the eye. The book's comprehensive nature may be overwhelming as a primer for residents training in ophthalmology, but the book will be a superb reference source for them. Critical Appraisal: This book is an outstanding contribu-tion to the field of ophthalmic pathology. It provides a comprehensive overview not found in any other work in our discipline. 82 Ben Glasgow, MD Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California Vision, Perception, and Cognition: A Manual for the Evaluation and Treatment of the Adult With Acquired Brain Injury, 4th Edition Barbara Zoltan, MA, OTR/L. Slack, Inc., Thorofare, NJ, 2007. ISBN 978-1-55642-738-1, $48.95. Scope: This textbook focuses on the assessment and rehabilitative management of visual and neurocognitive impairments commonly seen after stroke and traumatic brain injury. The first section briefly discusses general principles and other factors that guide overall management. Re-habilitative treatment approaches, including the Bobath concept and neuro-developmental treatment (NDT), are reviewed as well as other theoretical models. A general discussion of observational assessment and testing strate-gies follows. The second section forms the majority of the text. Specific assessment tools and treatment strategies for impaired vision and ocular motor function, visual neglect, apraxia, agnosia, attention, and executive cognitive function are described in detail. Strengths: Clinically relevant assessment tools are de-scribed in detail and can be applied to clinical practice. Specific treatment strategies for each impairment are helpfully classified as restorative or adaptive and organized in outline form for easy reference. Weaknesses: This edition addresses stroke and traumatic brain injury together under the umbrella of acquired brain injury. Because these disorders are distinct and associated with different impairments, the author is obliged to jump back and forth between patient populations. The book does not address the prevalence, prognosis, and time course of recovery of the various impairments. Research supporting the efficacy of the proposed treatment strategies is also not fully explored. The text is heavily referenced, but given its broad content, the absence of contributing authors with expertise in neuropsychology, speech language pathology, ophthalmology, and optometry is a problem. Recommended Audience: Rehabilitation specialists work-ing with traumatic brain injury and stroke patients will find the book a practical resource for clinical practice. q 2009 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Book Reviews J Neuro-Ophthalmol, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2009 Critical Appraisal: The author's background is in occupational therapy and much of the book's content and perspective seems to be geared to practicing therapists. Rehabilitation professionals will find the material well organized and clinically relevant. Because many of the assessment tools and treatment strategies specifically fall within the realm of the occupational therapist, physicians will not find the content particularly applicable to their practices. Paul T. Diamond, MD Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation University of Virginia Health System Charlottesville, Virginia Visual Perception Part 2: Fundamentals of Awareness, Multi-Sensory Integration and Higher-Order Perception Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD, Stephen L. Macknik, PhD, Luis M. Martinez, PhD, Jose-Manuel Alonso, PhD, and Peter U. Tse, PhD, Editors. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2006. ISBN 978-0-444-51927-6, $250.00. Scope: This is the second volume of a series entitled Visual Perception. It is based on the symposia presented at the European Conference on Visual Perception (ECVP) 2005, held in Spain. The book is divided into four sections, each consisting of a collection of selected papers covering a topic in vision science. The first section, entitled The Role of Context in Recognition, deals with recognition of higher-level visual objects and explores how top-down influences and context-based information affect object recognition. The second section, entitled From Perceptive Fields to Gestalt: a Tribute to Lothar Spillmann, includes papers presented at the special symposium in honor of one of the founders of ECVP, as well as the plenary lecture of Dr. Spillmann. The third section, entitled The Neural Basis for Visual Awareness and Attention, brings together five articles that cover aspects of visual awareness, including blindsight, binocular rivalry, attention, and visual masking. The fourth section, entitled Cross-Modal Interactions in Visual Perception, contains articles that investigate issues ranging from exploration of synesthesia to investigations on how information from auditory and visual modalities is integrated into a unique percept. Strengths: The quality of articles is consistently high. The authors are well-respected researchers. Each article serves as a mini-review that summarizes work done in recent years. Different viewpoints and methodologies are repre-sented. Dr. Spillmann's plenary lecture inspiringly de-scribes the creative and collaborative atmosphere in his Freiburg laboratory that brought together many generations of distinguished scientists. Weaknesses: The different sections of the book do not particularly mesh together and read more like independent pieces. Hence the somewhat cumbersome title, which falls short of communicating the contents of the book. Recommended Audience: All students of visual sciences, including sensory and cognitive neuroscientists will find this book useful. Critical Appraisal: This book includes state-of-the-art mini-reviews of a range of visual and multisensory topics, featuring summaries of cutting-edge research from across the field. Ipek Oruxc, PhD Jason J. S. Barton, MD, PhD Human Vision and Eye Movement Laboratory University of British Columbia Vancouver, British Columbia Neuroanatomy Through Clinical Cases Hal Blumenfeld, MD, PhD. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA, 2002. ISBN 0-87893-060-4, $71.95. Scope: This is a neuroanatomy textbook written for medical students in their introductory neuroanatomy course and for students in their clerkship years on a neurology rotation. The book is divided into 12 chapters. The first 5 chapters deal with the general organization of the nervous system with 1 chapter devoted to neuroradiology. The other chapters describe distinct anatomical entities in the nervous system. Each chapter first describes the general anatomic organization of a specific system followed by clinical vignettes. One entire chapter is devoted to the visual system. It covers the localization of visual complaints and then optic neuritis, branch retinal artery occlusion, hemi-anopia, migrainous visual loss, and other main conditions. Strengths: This is an excellent textbook for medical students interested in neurology and for beginning neurology residents. It can also serve as a good reference book on clinical neuroanatomy for ophthalmology resi-dents. Its main strength is the use of clinical cases and scenarios, which bring the study of neuroanatomy to life 83 J Neuro-Ophthalmol, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2009 Book Reviews and make it a very practical learning guide for a subject that is often viewed by medical students as dry and irrelevant. Excellent descriptions of visual fields are given in several clinical cases. Three extensive chapters deal with the brainstem, including several cases of diplopia. Sufficient details are provided to make the cases a valuable learning exercise. The uniqueness of the book is its inclusion of a variety of clinical vignettes that are written in a problem-based format and that accompany a wide variety of basic neurological complaints encountered by general practi-tioners. All cases are very clearly written with illustrations accompanying some of them and sufficient references for more detailed learning. Each clinical case emphasizes a specific part of the neurologic examination. Weaknesses: The text is written in block format. A point format would be easier to digest in many chapters. Most anatomic figures are represented by schematic diagrams and drawings; in some cases photographs would be have been better. Recommended Audience: Medical students and residents in neurology and ophthalmology will find this book useful. Critical Appraisal: This is an excellent textbook for anyone teaching neuroanatomy, neurology, or ophthalmol-ogy to medical students. Its many clinical vignettes serve as an excellent resource for problem-based learning. Edward Margolin, MD Department of Ophthalmology University of Toronto Toronto, Ontario Case Studies in Stroke: Common and Uncommon Presentations Michael G. Hennerici, MD, Michael Daffertshofer, MD, Louis R. Caplan, MD, et al. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK, 2007. ISBN 0-521-67367-4, $72.00. Scope: This is a multiauthored book encompassing 60 common and uncommon cases related to stroke. Each vignette introduces a short history and salient features of the neurologic examination. Most of the cases include CT, MRI, angiography, transcranial Doppler, or cerebral perfusion scanning. The core of the series lies in the discussion sections. Here, the authors provide a historical perspective and evidence. The reference section at the end of each chapter provides a means to explore the sentinel publications in further detail. Strengths: The utility of the book stems from its readability and use as an efficient stroll through the usual and unusual manifestations of cerebrovascular disease. Not only does it benefit the novice student or resident physician, but it also serves as a means to expand the differential diagnosis in an interesting way for the most seasoned stroke neurologist. The advanced imaging studies and rich list of historical and current references broaden the appeal. The viewpoints of Drs. Hennerici and Caplan reveal an impressive expertise. Weaknesses: The neurologic findings in most cases are neglected in favor of intricately described diagnostic studies. Although the random compilation of the cases adds suspense to the page turning, the series lacks organization. As such, its usefulness as a reference guide is probably limited to finding and reviewing one of the chosen pertinent publications cited at the end of each section. Recommended Audience: Medical students or residents working on an inpatient stroke service, neurologists seeking to expound on the differential diagnosis of stroke, and physicians or other clinical providers seeking an enjoyable read on diagnosis and management of stroke will find this book useful. Critical Appraisal: The authors remind their readers that the pathologic manifestations of the brain and its vascular supply are far from ordinary and at times can, in fact, be extraordinary. Andrew M. Southerland, MD Bradford B. Worrall, MD, MSc Department of Neurology University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia 84 q 2009 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins |
