Diagnostic imaging of infants and children by Robert G. Wells

Excerpt

We live in time of textbook riches. It may sound contrarian but a quick look at Amazon’s listings of pediatric radiology texts reveals dozens of subspecialty books from independent authors and traditional publishers. Added to this bounty are an ever-growing number of e-texts. The rich options can be divided into a few broad categories. Ignoring the e-texts, physical texts can be separated into the traditional narrative text, hyper-structured disease- or condition-centered atlas or fact book, and a combination of both. The traditional narrative (Caffey’s 11th edition) creates a story of disease, grouping like entities. In the best cases the text invites the reader to continue reading beyond any immediate work-related question. The hyper-structured atlases as typified by the Amirsys books provide expert-level detail with multiple exemplary illustrations. This type of text rarely provides context for the understanding of pathology or an underlying paradigm of disease. The combination text tries to walk the line. This final group is what traditional publishers are trying to push. Success or failure of the final group requires careful construction and execution. …