This is the second edition of the very successful textbook on extracranial computed tomography, "Computed Body Tomography," which was published in 1982. In the preface, the editors stated that "This volume has been prepared to present a comprehensive text on the application of CT and MRI to the extracranial organs of the body." I believe that the authors have achieved their stated goal with excellence and that this textbook will be an indispensable reference for many radiologists for years to come.
The first four chapters review the physical principles and techniques of CT and MRI. The next chapter deals with interventional computed tomography, which is followed by discussions on each of the different extracranial organ systems, from neck to pelvis. Separate chapters on musculoskeletal system, spine, pediatric applications, and radiation oncology are provided at the end. The last chapter is on the history, economics, and politics of CT and MRI and is an excellent review of the current status of CT and MRI.
The overall organization of the book is excellent. Discussions of the different organ systems usually start with normal anatomy, followed by normal variants, pathologic conditions, and approaches to the imaging workup of these conditions. The emphasis throughout the book is to evaluate the current utility of CT and MRI, comparing them with other available imaging modalities. The entire book is well-illustrated with high-quality images from state-of-the-art equipment. The lists of references are extensive and as current as can reasonably be expected.
Despite the overall excellence of the book, several minor faults can be found. First, since only 8 pages are devoted to MR physics, many of the major topics are only very briefly mentioned. Similarly, the chapter on MR imaging techniques is very brief and borders on oversimplification. For example, only 1 1 sentences are devoted to blood flow and only 7 sentences are devoted to motion artifacts. Considering that these are some of the most important issues that we deal with in abdominal MR imaging, they probably deserve more detailed discussions. The MR protocols listed mention only spin-echo pulse sequences. Considering that gradient echo, STIR, and other pulse sequences are being used more and more routinely, I find the MR protocols to be slightly too conservative. In the discussion of the musculoskeletal system, 40 pages are devoted to MR imaging of musculoskeletal neoplasms, whereas only 5 paragraphs are used to cover MR imaging of the knee. I find this difficult to understand, since MR imaging of the knee is one of the most important applications of MRI.
In summary, I believe that this is the best textbook available today that covers comprehensively both CT and MRI applications in the extracranial organ systems. I