Book Review

Imaging of Bone Tumors

N Engl J Med 1993; 329:1901-1902December 16, 1993

Article

Imaging of Bone Tumors
Edited by Morrie E. Kricun. 677 pp., illustrated. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders, 1993. $139. ISBN: 0-7216-5518-1

This book reflects Kricun's lifetime interest in bone tumors. It is divided into three unequal sections; all the chapters in the first section were written by Kricun himself and reflect his experience in bone-tumor radiology. There is an excellent treatise, “Parameters of Diagnosis,” followed by chapters on tumors involving the long bones, hands, feet, ribs, spine, and pelvis. They are beautifully illustrated with plain radiographs and drawings and comprehensively referenced. In my opinion, the book would be worth purchasing just for this section.

The second section, on advanced imaging techniques, discusses magnetic resonance imaging along with spectroscopy, computed tomography, radionuclide imaging, angiography, and ultrasonography. Although these chapters are well written, they are somewhat repetitious and should have been organized to present a better practical approach to the diagnostic evaluation of patients with bone lesions. In this era of cost containment, computed tomography is used to evaluate pulmonary metastatic disease rather than to demonstrate the extent of a primary appendicular neoplasm, which is usually best determined by magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, the usefulness of these specialized studies should be shown with respect to difficult aspects of managing bone tumors, such as the assessment of the vascularity of the fibula before grafting, the viability of bone grafts after limb salvage, and the interpretation of images after the placement of a titanium prosthesis.

The final section consists of a surgeon's perspective -- a precis of the chapters on imaging -- and a pathologist's excellent review of bone tumors. The importance of interpreting the pathological section along with the radiographs and other imaging studies is rightly emphasized. The illustrations in this section could have been improved by better lettering and arrows. The pathologist's review contains no references, but it should be noted that the author (Michael Fallon) died before publication.

The writing throughout the book is clear and consistent, but even in this age of computer spell-check programs, the odd typographical error crept in.

Although this book certainly is not intended to compete with larger, established textbooks, I recommend it to radiologists, clinicians, and pathologists who have a particular interest in these neoplasms. It is a book to which I will frequently refer.

Philip Stanley, M.D.
Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027