Book Review: Anatomic Basis of Neurologic Diagnosis, 2nd Edition
Alberstone CD, Benzel EC, Jones SE, et al. Anatomic Basis of Neurologic Diagnosis. 2nd ed. 2023; 648 pp; 594 ill; $149.99
The second edition of Anatomic Basis of Neurologic Diagnosis (published in 2023) comes 14 years after the publication of the first edition. The senior authors, Drs. Alberstone, Benzel, and Steinmetz, remain the same, and added to this senior editorship are 2 members of the Cleveland Clinic, Drs. Jones and Wang. It is important to note that this book is associated with an easily accessible e-book, which contains information and illustrations found in the print edition.
Following the same general outline of the prior publication, the book is divided into 4 sections:
- Development and Developmental Disorders
- Regional Anatomy and Related Syndromes
- System-Based Anatomy and Differential Diagnosis
- Fluid System Anatomy and Function
Certain areas of the book are expanded, resulting in a text that is approximately 60 pages longer due to the inclusion of more illustrative material, MR imaging in particular. These images assist in emphasizing the features shown in the drawings, which are part of every section of the book. It is worth noting that there is a significant amount of blank space associated with each MR or CT image, and that space could have been utilized to show more of the anatomic and signal-related findings. As just 1 example (and there are many such examples), a sagittal T1WI of a Chiari II malformation is shown, centered on the cranial cervical junction, and it occupies just one-sixth of the otherwise blank page. The extra space could have easily been used to show the intracerebral manifestations of this congenital malformation using axial/coronal images and different pulse sequences. This is a relatively minor criticism of what is otherwise a brilliant and highly informative book.
The strength of this publication lies in the detailed drawings of the pertinent anatomy and the associated pathologic conditions. As an example, for a clinician, the section on the brachial plexus and what defect arises from involvement of each segment is invaluable information, although it would have been of even greater value had the authors included a few corresponding MR images of the brachial plexus along with a demonstration of a lesion affecting a portion of the brachial plexus. It is fully understood that this book was not primarily intended to be one to show radiologic abnormalities, but it does seem that there are sections in which more imaging would have brought home the points more vividly.
The concept of using the anatomy, the dysfunction of the area, and the consequential clinical alteration is a major feature of the book. No matter where one looks in this book, one finds important descriptions and precise details in the drawings. All areas are worthy of close inspection, and using the following as examples of the outstanding nature of the sections, look at the anatomic basis for surgical treatment of movement disorders or the deep intricacies of the limbic system. Both are accompanied by good-quality MR images and can be enormously useful as one interprets brain images. The educational value of the multiple chapters cannot be overstated, and in a brief review such as this, one is not able to highlight every section, but suffice to say this is a publication that every neuroradiologist should have access to, primarily as their own personal copy. I personally will refer to this material often, just as I did to the prior edition.
This is a highly recommended book, and having it as a ready reference will not only allow a greater appreciation of the details seen on imaging but also deepen one’s understanding of the critical anatomy and clinical findings.
