Book Review

Davidsons Radiology of the Kidney and Genitourinary Tract, 3rd ed. By Alan J. Davidson, David S. Hartman, Peter L. Choyke, and Brent J. Wagner. Philadelphia: Saunders, 761 pp., 1999. $195
ith the third edition of Radiology of the Kidney and Genitourinary Tract, concurrent with the addition of coauthors Choyke and Wagner, the emphasis on cross-sectional imaging has appropriately increased, yet the core structure of the book remains intact. As with the prior editions of this now classic work in genitourinary radiology, the heart of the text remains the detailed discussions of the diagnostic sets, which are organized by disease location and pattern. Pathologic and pathophysiologic correlation is stressed heavily throughout the book. In the third edition, a new section has been added on the genital tract, various sections have been updated (e.g., the discussions on urethral trauma, contrast reactions, and adrenal adenomas are very current), and many of the images have been replaced. The references have been updated throughout the book and are comprehensive. The organization, layout, and writing are superb. Clearly, this book has been an ongoing labor of love for the two senior authors. There is excellent cross-referencing of topics, and the brief differential diagnosis sections that conclude many of the chapters are quite useful. The cases illustrating the text have been carefully selected, are generally outstanding, and draw from many national and international contributors who are appro-

priately acknowledged as well as from the les of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. The new chapters are concise and current and appropriately review the roles of different techniques for imaging the genital tract in a variety of situations. Some of the chapters are particularly outstanding, including the comprehensive yet relatively brief reviews on prostatic and adrenal imaging. The section in the latter chapter that overviews the imaging of hyperfunctioning adrenal lesions draws heavily on the research on this topic produced at the National Institutes of Health. The deciencies of the current edition are relatively minor. The absence of a detailed section on helical CT techniques applicable to the genitourinary tract is notable. The discussions on ectopic pregnancy and CT angiography and MR angiography for renal arterial stenosis could have been substantially longer. Also, more unenhanced helical CT scans of renal colic should have been shown, considering its use as a replacement for excretory urography at many institutions over the past few years. Image quality is good overall and has improved compared with the previous editions. However, the contrast of some of the images could be better; many of the excretory urograms are too light. Image quality of some of the CT scans of common entities, such as parapelvic cysts and pyelonephritis, also could have been better.

Davidsons Radiology of the Kidney and Genitourinary Tract should be required reading for all radiologists at some point in their career, particularly during their senior training years. The current edition actually contains fewer pages than the previous edition and can easily be read from cover to cover by a resident during a 1-month genitourinary or body imaging rotation. The book complements the genitourinary portion of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology course for obvious reasons, and the format of the diagnostic sets and the differential diagnosis discussions are ideal for preparation for the boards. This is particularly true in light of a recent communication from the American Board of Radiology, which reported that notable deciencies of recent oral board candidates included their inability to appropriately analyze a nephrogram. In summary, I strongly recommend the current edition of Davidsons Radiology of the Kidney and Genitourinary Tract to all radiologists, including general radiologists and body imagers, as well as to nephrologists and urologists who desire a thorough review of genitourinary radiology in a manageable yet comprehensive single-volume text. Douglas S. Katz Winthrop-University Hospital Mineola, NY 11501

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AJR:175, August 2000