Diffusion, Perfusion and Spectroscopy.

Diffusion, perfusion and spectroscopy are newer MRI physiological techniques that are assuming an increasing role in clinical MRI, although they are continuing to evolve. This book is divided into eight sections, with the first section devoted to fundamentals and artefacts of these techniques, and the remaining seven sections describing the role of physiological MRI in seven clinical disease categories: cerebrovascular, neoplasia, infection and inflammation, seizure disorders, psychiatric and neurodegenerative, trauma and paediatrics.

In each section, the authors describe the role of physiological techniques in assessment of that particular type of disorder, and they review the latest research into those applications. As well, considerable information is provided on clinical features, which is quite useful.

A total of 80 international contributors have combined their expertise in producing this book. Because there are usually separate chapters for the role of diffusion, perfusion and spectroscopy with a particular disease category, there does tend to be considerable repetition. This adds to the length of the book, but it may be useful in reinforcing certain points.

The authors have also added 36 case studies at the end of chapters, which are quite useful in presenting practical patient situations, and illustrating how physiological techniques contribute to the diagnosis.

Although the case studies are useful, they are not always located with the appropriate chapter. The authors do summarize the essential points of the chapter on the first page of each chapter with their key points, which is quite useful.

Some of the chapters do get very technical, such as Chapter 1 which deals with perfusion MR imaging in adult neoplasia. There are only limited examples of diffusion and perfusion in stroke, and not much discussion of ADC images. Considering that stroke is a major clinical problem, further examples with more discussion of ADC images would have been worthwhile. It would have been useful also to compare MR perfusion with CT perfusion since the latter is commonly used in most centres.

This book is a very good reference tool for neuroimagers. Although most of it is quite complex, it would likely serve as an excellent reference source for MRI technologists.

Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (December 27, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0521824575
ISBN-13: 978-0521824576