Neurosonology and Neuroimaging of Stroke. A Comprehensive Reference.
By José M. Valdueza, Stephan J. Schreiber, Jens-Eric Roehl, Florian Connolly, Randolf Klingebiel.
2nd edition, Thieme Publishers, Stuttgart, New York, Dehli, Rio de Janeiro. 2017
A Review by Erwin Stolz
Neurosonology and Neuroimaging of Stroke has appeared in the second edition now. A Russian edition from 2012 also highlights the success of the concept of this book which is based on the teaching experience of the Berlin Charité neurosonology group. The book covers all aspects of vascular neurosonology, but also describes parenchymal and orbital sonography in the clinical context. Nerve and muscle sonography are not within the scope of the book.
The first part of the book systematically covers all aspects of the vascular examination on approximately 200 pages beginning with the physical aspects, anatomy and examination techniques. Examination of extra- and intracranial arterial pathology is covered in depth, but the reader will also find help regarding rare findings and examination situations including i.e. functional ultrasound and venous examination. However, the reader will also find chapters on stroke pathophysiology, MR-, CT- and conventional angiography which are usually missing in books dedicated to ultrasound.
The second part (approximately 400 pages) consists of 45 case histories. They all have a similar structure: clinical presentation, initial neuroradiological findings, suspected diagnosis, questions to be answered by ultrasound, initial neurosonological findings, alternative angiographic methods, clinical course, final diagnosis, and discussion. What makes this part of the really strong are the didactically well-chosen cases from which not only the up-to-date vascular and clinical aspects of the different diseases can be learned, which is a clear incentive for junior doctors, but which I as a dedicated sonographer find most important, is that by going through these cases it really becomes clear what the merits and limitations of neurosonology compared to other neuroimaging methods are. I don’t know any other book which contrasts neurosonology with other neuroimaging methods in such a systematic way.
More than 1300 excellent illustrations including video tapes, which can be loaded via the Thieme Media Center, support the mission of this book.
I can recommend this book not only for beginners, but also for advanced sonographers.