8001< REVIEW Pediatric Neuroimaging Savvas Andronikou MB BCh, FCRad(D), FRCR (Lond) Department of Paediatric Radiology Red Cross Children's Hospital University of Cape Town and Institute of Child Health By A James Barkovich. Third edition. Philadelphia: Lippincot, Williams and Wilkins, 2000. In his 3rd edition Dr Barkovich has provided us with a text that is not only a complete reference book, but also an easy read. I read the 800 pages from cover to cover as if they were an enjoyable novel, one section leading smoothly into the next. Paediatric neuroimaging has never been this exciting! The setup is simple with a mini- malist approach to chapter structure. To my delight whole chapters were dedicated to the controversial topic of hydrocephalus and the difficult sub- ject of assessing age-related myelina- tion. With regard to the latter, the author advises on the ideal imaging sequences and on the appropriate diagnostic landmarks for age. The chapter on toxic and metabolic dis- eases is complete and extensive but I was disappointed (perhaps with the subject matter or myself) in that, after studying the topic, I still have difficul- ty making diagnoses in practice. I had hoped that in this edition Dr Barkovich would have suggested a roadrnap for simplifying the approach to such conditions. There is, however, valuable embryologic and anatomic detail, which helped me to understand and approach congenital disease in a logical manner. Also impressive is the simple description of new imaging techniques such as diffusion weighted imaging, magnetic resonance spec- troscopy and magnetisation transfer. Imaging features using these tech- niques are to be found throughout the text under the relevant pathologic processes. Images are plentiful and are of the highest quality. They make the read- ing more enjoyable and more applic- able to actual practice. Little is left to the imagination as examples of almost all pathological entities in the field are represented. Paediatric neuroimaging is now a detailed super-specialty that deserves dedicated radiologists and dedicated texts. I recommend this as an introductory reader, a learning text and a reference book useful to all deal- ing with this subject. Barkovich's 3rd edition is cutting edge and complete. Pediatric Neuroimaging 3/e A. James Barkovich Thoroughly updated and substantially expanded, the Third Edition of this acclaimed reference covers the full range of pediatric diseases diagnosable by modern neuroimaging. Coverage ranges from normal development to diseases and anomalies of the pediatric nervous system. Most chapters include new diseases, as well as updates on entities previously described. This edition provides expanded coverage of the head and neck and significantly more information on inborn errors of metabolism. The chapter on normal development of the neonatal and infant brain, skull, and spine has been expanded to include fetal brain MRI. This edition also includes new concepts on hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and malformations of cerebral cortical development. To facilitate fast, easy reference, this edition includes a "List of Disorders," which lists the conditions discussed in each chapter and their corresponding page numbers. This new feature enables readers to quickly look up a disorder and is particularly helpful when a reader is unsure of the name of an entity. November 1999, 880 pp, 1192 illustrations, hardbound, lWW, R2 990 ORDERS: SA Medical Association, Private Bag X1, Pinelands 7430. Tel (021) 530-6527. Fax (021) 531-4126. E-mail: fpalm@samedical.org Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Prices subject to foreign exchange fluctuations. 52 SA JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGY. March 2002 mailto:fpalm@samedical.org