There are two important reasons for publishing this new series entitled "Advances and Technical Standards in Neurosurgery" 1. the lack of any or ganized common European postgraduate training system for young neurosurgeons and 2. the language barriers, which impede the exchange of neurosurgical findings in Europe more than in other parts of the world. The fact that the English language is well on the way to becoming the international medium at European scientific conferences is a great asset in terms of mutual understanding. Therefore the Editors have decided to publish all contributions in English, regardless of the native language of the authors. All contributions are submitted to the entire editorial board before publi cation of any volume. Our series is not intended to compete with the publications of original scientific papers in other neurosurgical journals. Our intention is, rather, to present fields of neurosurgery and related areas in which important recent advances have been made. The contributions are written by specialists in the given fields and constitute the first part of each volume. In the second part of each volume, we publish detailed descriptions of standard operative procedures, furnished by experienced clinicians; in these articles the authors describe the techniques they employ and explain the advantages, difficulties and risks involved in the various procedures. This part is intended primarily to assist young neurosurgeons in their postgraduate train ing. However, we are convinced that it will also be useful to experienced, fully trained neurosurgeons."

Various aspects, including diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis, of two brain tumors (meningioma and schwannoma) , of brain tumors are discussed in this volume. Insights on the understanding of molecular pathways involved in brain tumor biology are explained. For example, the role of E-cadherin gene instability, carbonic anhydrase 11, urokinase plasminogen activator, and Wnt signaling is discussed in detail. Such information will lead to the development of effective aniicancer drugs. The role of molecular genetics and epigenetic mechanisms in schwannomas is explained. Also, is explained the role of cyclin D1 in vestibular schwannoma. The determination of subtypes of meningiomas using perfusion magnetic resonance imaging is explained. Diagnosis of incidentally discovered meningioma and cystic papillary meningioma is also included. Diagnosis of facial nerve schwannoma, vestibular schwannoma, and intermediate nerve schwannoma is explained. Treatments for atypical meningioma, oncocytic meneingioma, intracranial meningioma, and cavernous are presented. Therapeutic methods such as neurosurgery, Gamma knife radiosurgery, and adjuvant radiation for this cancer are included. Large number of other treatments, including radiosurgery, retrosigmoidal craniotomy, and immunotherapy, for vestibular schwannoma patients are detailed.

0 e From the reviews of the German edition: "NMR: readable yet professional... Through this book the reader with a scientific background becomes familiar with all important NMR phenomena, methods and conceptions... The great amount of carefully drawn figures and skillfully selected biologically relevant spectra and figures are an decisive bridge to the ... aim, to convey the NMR basics without mathematics. Besides biologists and physicians the book can be highly recommended to physicists and chemists..." #"Nachrichten a. d. Chemie, Technik u. Laboratorien"#1 "An extraordinary NMR textbook ... The authors succeeded in presenting the subject vividly. This book is clearly set out and easy to follow at a glance, and its numerous figures are extremely well done." #"Labo"#2

Die Rontgendiagnostik cerebraler und spinaler Erkrankungen - die Neuroradiologie - hat in den letzten Jahren so groBe Fortschritte gezeigt, daB ihr 3 Bande dieses Handbuches zur Verfligung gestellt wurden. Die einzelnen Kapitel umfassen die spezielle Diagnostik der Hirntumoren, der cerebralen GefaB- erkrankungen, des Schadel-Hirn-Traumas, die Diagnostik der Orbita und die Diagnostik des Spinalkanals. Besonderer Wert wurde auf die neueste Untersuchungsmethode, auf die cerebrale Computer- Tomographie, gelegt, die in ihrer Aussagekraft eine flihrende Stelle in der Neuroradiologie ein- nimmt. Eine ausflihrliche Darstellung der angiographischen und luftencephalographischen Technik und der Untersuchungsbefunde bei raumfordernden intracraniellen Prozessen mit diesen Methoden war jedoch auch erforderlich, da die Neuroradiologie nicht nur aus der Computer-Tomographie besteht, die als alleinige Untersuchungsmethode nicht immer ausreicht. Ferner ist es auch he ute noch nicht moglich, daB uberall in der Welt ein CT-Gerat zur Ver- fligung steht. Den Indikationen zu jeder Untersuchung ist in allen Kapiteln ein groBer Raum gewidmet; die Normalbefunde, die Physiologie, Pathophysiologie und die Neuropathologie werden in speziellen Kapiteln abgehandelt. Das Gebiet "Neuroradiologie" ist damit von Spezialisten in allen Abschnitten umfassend dar- gestellt. S. WENDE Preface So much progress has been made in the past years in neuroradiology ~ X-ray investigation of neurological disorders in the cranial and spinal regions ~ that three volumes of this Handbook are now devoted to it.

Safety and Efficacy of Radiopharmaceuticals was established as a very important and comprehensive subject at the First Europe an Symposium on Radiopharmacy and Radiopharmaceuticals in Denmark in 1983. The interest in this subject has grown considerably since then due to the growing interest among national authorities to deal with radiopharmaceuticals. The introduction in recent years of nuclear medicine techniques based on radioactive labelled cells and on monoclonal antibodies has stressed the importance of a well functioning approval system for the clinical trial and use of new radiopharmaceuticals. The process of transferring the experience from the non radioactive drug field into the area of radiopharmaceuticals is still ongoing. International organisations such as the World Health Organisa tion is also including this into their quality assurance programme from both the radiopharmaceutical and the radiation hygiene point of view. In order to give an up-to date survey of these areas, experts were invited to prepare review papers under the following headings: Safety and Efficacy of Radiophar maceuticals with Emphasis on Biological Products, Radiophar macy/Radiation Hygiene, Legal Aspects of the Introduction of New Radiopharmaceuticals and some selected aspects of Good Radiopharmacy Practice."

Progress in traumatology of the vertebral spine has been restrained for a long time by two hindering factors. The first obstacle is presented by the differences in approach and a conflict of competences. The neurosurgeons, considering only the spinal chord, have confined themselves to indications for laminectomy, an insufficient and usually ineffective intervention. The orthopedic surgeons, on the other hand, obsessed by the fear of medullary lesions, have long hesitated to apply the fundamental rules for the treatment of fractures, namely precise reduction followed by strict immobilization, thus depriving themselves of the efficacy of radiculomedul lar decompression and of the protection this procedure affords to these structures when they are themselves involved in the trauma. Taking these facts into account, together with the rather poor results of laminectomy, the specialists have wisely and successfully recommended that one should abstain from treating the initial lesion, but rather attenuate the damage by appropiate nursing care and adequate reeducation. The second hindering factor was the insufficient knowledge of the extreme complexity of the anatomic lesions. This explains the orthopedists' relative caution; one only treats well what one knows well. More precise analysis of the lesions, not only of the bones but also of the joints, i. e., the osteofibrous involvement, is mainly based on strict radiologic semiology, which is rendered difficult because these structures are simultaneously affected. We are greatly indebted to Dr. DOSCH, radiologist at our Center, for having untertaken this difficult task, using all available conventional radiologic techniques."

The history of the use of ultrasound in medicine has been one of evolution of technology and innovative methods of applying this technology to imaging body structures. Many scientists and clinicians have contributed to this evolution. Ophthalmic ultrasound has become an indispensible tool in ophthalmic practice, with its own instrumentation and techniques. Ultrasound frequencies used in ophthalmology have generally been higher than those used in general medicine because of a requirement for higher resolution and a lesser need for deep penetration. Most ophthalmic diagnostic equipment uses frequencies in the 10 MHz range. The use of ultrasound frequencies in the 50-100 MHz range is a relatively new development in ultrasound imaging of the eye. This technique has been developed in our laboratories over the past several years. We have progressed from the theoretical description of the basic science required, past the first in-vitro experiments in eye bank eyes, to the construction of an instrument capable of clinical application. We have gained broad clinical experience with this instrument in normal patients and patients with ocular disease. A commercial instrument based on our original clinical scanner has recently become available, allowing other clinicians to apply this tool to ophthalmic research and clinical practice. We have applied the term ultrasound biomicroscopy to this new imaging technique because of similarities to optical biomicroscopy, i. e. , the observation of living tissue at microscopic resolution.

Die moderne Strahlentherapie ist eine auBerst komplexe MaBnahme. Es werden therapeutische Eingriffe vorgenommen, die sich sowohl in kurativer als auch palliativer Beziehung sehr niitzlich auswirken konnen, die aber auch, wie jede andere effektive Therapie, nachteilige Folgen haben konnen. Es handelt sich urn die Ausiibung einer arztlichen Kunst, die auf einer ganzen Reihe von Kenntnissen aufbauen muB, ohne welche die Behandlung nur Stiickwerk bleiben und unweigerlich zum Anstieg von MiB- erfolgen und sogar zu Schaden fiihren miiBte. Die vornehmlich kurative Behandlung bei den einzelnen Geschwiilsten wird in Band XIX und XX behandelt. Wie man beispielsweise die allgemeine von der speziellen pathologischen Anatomie trennt, so ist es auch sinnvoll, von einer allgemeinen und speziellen Strahlentherapie zu sprechen. Wir glauben, daB es sowohl niitzlich als auch notwendig ist, die allgemeine Strahlentherapie in einem eigenen Band getrennt zu be- arbeiten, weil eine Zusammenfassung nicht nur nicht existiert, sondern bei dem raschen Fortschritt un serer Kenntnisse einem realen Bediirfnis entspricht.

Mit den von anerkannten Sachkennern der Radiologie und der Frauenheilkunde erarbei- teten Beitragen fUr den Band XIII/2 des Handbuches der medizinischen Radiologie konnten erstmals in der Weltliteratur umfassende Zusammenstellungen des gesamten Wissensstof- fes auf dem Gebiet der gynakologischen Radiologie und der radiologisch-geburtshilflichen Diagnostik vorgelegt werden. Die Methodik und den Informationswert der Hysterosalpingographie hat FOCHEM abgehandeIt und gestiitzt auf die fundierten Ergebnisse eigener Arbeit, in klar gegliederten Kapiteln die morphologischen Rontgenbefunde des gesunden und kranken Uterus und der Tuben erlautert. Mit dem Beitrag tiber die gynakologische Rontgendiagnostik in der Padiatrie haben BENZ und WILLICH eine vollstandige Ubersicht der Ergebnisse ihres noch wenig bekannten Forschungsgebietes gegeben, das fUr viele Fachgebiete der Medizin groBe praktische Bedeutung erlangt hat. Die methodischen Grundlagen und den Informationswert der radiologischen Spezial- diagnostik in der Gynakologie haben GROTEMEYER und BREIT zusammengestellt. Einen grundlegenden Beitrag zur Anatomie und Topographie der Organe des weiblichen Bek- kens im Hinblick auf die Rontgen-Ganzkorper-Computer-Tomographie verdanken wir PLATZER, der das Fundament fUr die Bildanalyse dieser neuartigen diagnostischen Me- thode erarbeitet hat. Die spezielle Rontgendiagnostik der gynakologischen Tumoren mit Hilfe der Angio- graphie und Rontgen-Ganzkorper-Computer-Tomographie haben BREIT und ROHDE ab- gehandelt. In besonderen Kapiteln ist die oft vernachlassigte Rezidivdiagnostik bei Ge- schwiilsten von BREIT sowie LISSNER und SCHERER bearbeitet worden. Gestiitzt auf eigene Forschungs- und Entwicklungsarbeit geben die Autoren eine umfassende Ubersicht und berticksichtigen die wertvollen diagnostischen Informationen, die heute mit Hilfe der Rontgen-Ganzkorper-Computer-Tomographie fUr die klinische Arbeit zur VerfUgung stehen.

Der Umfang der Erkenntnisse uber das Mammakarzinom in Theorie, Klinik und Praxis ist in den vergangenen drei lahrzehnten so groB geworden, daB ein eigener Band zur Abhandlung dieses Themas erforderlich wurde. 1m Rahmen dieses Werkes ist es naheliegend, daB die radiologischen Disziplinen sowohl in der Diagnostik als auch in der Therapie besonders zu Wort kommen. Die Atiologie, die entsprechende Ethnologie, die Stochastik der Zellentartung, die Experimen- talmedizin, die Immunologie und die ausfUhrliche Chirurgie werden nicht abgehandelt, weil dadurch der Umfang des Buches wahrscheinlich mehr als verdoppelt werden wurde. Die Diagnose des Mammakarzinoms wurde zum einen durch die Mammographie und Thermographie erweitert und zum anderen durch die gezielte pditherapeutische Gewebsentnahme mit einer entscheidenden Histopathologie betrachtlich verbessert. Die fruhe Entdeckung eines Carcinoma in situ und die Differenzierung in ein lobulares, intraduktales oder infiltrierendes Karzinom bestimmen entscheidend das Schicksal der Frau. Die Frage nach der radikalen Mastektomie mit postoperativer Bestrahlung und der einfachen Mastektomie mit Bestrahlung konnen nur nach sorgfaltigen statistischen Unter- suchungen auf breiter Basis unter Berucksichtigung alterer und neuerer klinischer Erfah- rungen entschieden werden. Zur Vermeidung der oft sehr verstiimmelnden Operation sind die Kombinationsthera- pien, wie einfache Ablation des fortgeschrittenen Karzinoms oder Tumorektomie bei fruhen Karzinomen zusammen mit der Bestrahlung, in den Vordergrund getreten. Die Bedeutung der immer wieder diskutierten pdioperativen Bestrahlung und die Indikation dazu werden sorgfaltig besprochen. Eine ganz besondere Beachtung verdienen die jahrelangen sorgfaltigen Untersuchun- gen uber die alleinige Strahlentherapie mit Megavoltstrahlen, weil sie sowohl kosmetisch als auch statistisch ausgezeichnete Ergebnisse aufweisen konnen.

"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made oj' Benjamin Franklin This book describes the technical principles and applications of echo-planar imaging (EPI) which, as much as any other technique, has shaped the develop ment of modern magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The principle of EPI, namely, the acquisition of multiple nuclear magnetic resonance echoes from a single spin excitation, has made it possible to shorten the previously time-con suming MRI data acquisition from minutes to much less than a second. Interest ingly, EPI is one of the oldest MRI techniques, conceived in 1976 by Sir Peter Mansfield only 4 years after the initial description of the principles of MRI. One of the inventors of MRI himself, Mansfield realized that fast data acquisition would be paramount in bringing medical applications of MRI to full fruition. The technological challenges in implementing EPI, however, were formidable. Until the end of the 1980s few people believed that EPI would be clinically useful, since its complexity was far greater than that of "conventional" MRI methods."

The term picture archiving and communications system (PACS) was initiated during the first International conference and workshop on the topic sponsored by The International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) in Newport Beach, California in 1982. The research and development (R&D) progress for PACS has been slow until 1988. The earlier PACS modules were mostly off the shelf components connected together to solve a very specific clinical problem. The three major players in PACS R&D are the European countries, United States of America, and Japan. For various reasons, the European coun tries concentrated in modeling and simulation, U.S.A. pre ferred in-house development or purchased PACS modules from a manufacturer, whereas Japan organized the PACS as a national project. Between 1989 and 1990 PACS R&D took a dramatic positive turn. Large scale P ACS projects were planned and some are of implementation, especially in newly con at various stages structed hospitals. Examples are the Hokkaido University, Japan; Hammersmith Hospital, United Kingdom; Social and Medical Center East (SMZO), Vienna, Austria; the U.S. Armed Force Medical Diagnostic Imaging Support (MDIS) project; and the UCLA Medical Plaza ambulatory care center. Another phenomenon is the organization of the EC-countries which provides a tremendous impetus for the European PACS R&D efforts. This book "Hospital Integrated Picture Archiving and Communication Systems: edited by Professor M. Osteaux and others is a direct product from these efforts."

The dramatic evolution of new technology in diagnostic and therapeutic radiology has changed the whole field of medicine. Ultrasonography, computed tomography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and digital radiography are those new techniques which are undergoing continuous development, providing us with increasingly re fined methods for establishing the cause of disease and for treating the patient. Using radiologic technique, ingenious methods are continuously being developed to en sure less expensive, less traumatic, and more efficient therapy. Transluminal angio plasty, embolization of tumors or bleeding vessels, extraction or dissolution of stones, and regional infusions are some of these therapeutic methods in modem diagnostic radiology. Every day new ideas arise which are published in a multitude of papers. This heavy flow of information limits the possibility of selecting from a core of information and often prevents radiologists from communicating efficiently with their colleagues in other countries or continents. European radiologists are additionally hampered from participating in international communication because of the language barriers created by the national journals. As a result, Europe's contribution to scientific progress in this interdisciplinary field has influenced only regional developments."

The second common meeting of the European Section and the Cervical Spine Research Society took place in Marseille (France) from June 12 to 15, 1988 and was organized by Rene Louis. More than 130 specialists from every part of Europe, from America and Asia participated, representing, among others, the fields of Orthopedics, Neurosurgery, Traumatology, Neurology, Anatomy, Rheumatology and Radiology. This meeting again was convincing proof of the growing interest which exists in Europe in research into injuries and diseases of the cervical spine. The main topics of this meeting were the subluxation of the lower cervical spine (chapter 1) and the infectious diseases of the cervical spine (chapter 2). Chapters 3 and 4 of this volume deal with degenerative lesions and the upper cervical spine. In chapter 5 experimental reports are presented, so that a good synopsis is provided of our present state of knowledge of diseases of the cervical spine. The European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society was founded by Mario Boni in 1984, who unfortunately died in 1986 and was proclaimed Honory President of the European Section. There is a European meeting every summer and one every three years with our colleagues from the United States of America, Canada and Japan organized in Europe. The first combined meeting was organized by Pierre Kehr in Strasbourg (France) in 1985 and the presented papers were published in Cervical Spine I (Springer, Wien-New York, 1987).

Spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhages are the most dangerous complication of cerebral vascular disease. Because of their frequency and the fact that they lead to serious injuries, prolonged disabilities and, often, death, they have acquired an enormous significance, both medically and socially. Their precise diagnosis, location, wide extent and accomp ying manifestations were for a very long time uncertain and, in small and deeply situated haematomas, these factors were impossible to determine. Diagnosis was confirmed by the clinical picture, by angiography and sometimes by ventriculography and included, in the main, both lobar and more extensive haematomas. The results of operative treatment following the first attempt of H. Cushing in 1903 were poor and remained unsatisfactory in spite of the endeavours of numerous authors (Guillaume et al. 1956; Lazorthes 1956; McKissock et al. 1959; Luessenhop 1967 and many others). Especially for the most frequent and typically hypertensive haematomas in the region of the internal, capsule, the opinion was often expressed that operative treatment was useless.

Surgery an essentially manual exercise in its early days, has progressively grown richer in complementary techniques helping the surgeon to perfect his movements and increase efficiency. This is particularly the case with digestive surgery, which has been thoroughly transformed by radiology, endoscopy and extemporaneous examinations effected during surgical intervention. Such methods make it possible for surgeons to develop subtle nuances in operative techniques and to specify indi cations more and more precisely. Ultrasonography must now be included among such techniques. It supplements them and can sometimes even replace them. For these reasons, this work devoted to the use of ultrasound by the surgeon during surgical intervention is of great interest. Two general conditions had to be met before ultrasonography could be em ployed in abdominal surgery: the method and apparatus had to be adapted to its surgical utilization, and the surgeon had to adapt to a nonsurgical technique. The first condition has been fulfilled for all purposes. Intraoperative sonograms can be generated at a very high rate and are proving to be more and more useful. The miniaturization of probes permits their application almost everywhere with opti mal results. Of course, the costs are still high, but one can expect them to decrease.

Up until two decades ago, clinical interest in the etiopathogenetic interpretation of lumbo-radicular syndromes was prevalently concentrated on the pathology of the inter vertebral disc. This vision gradually changed and grew as a result of the affirmation of the concept of pathological narrowing of the osteoligamentous vertebral canal as a cause of compression of the lumbar nervous structures. Finally, in the last ten years, lumbar stenosis has become more and more a subject of current interest not only as a result of problems related to nosography, diagnosis, and therapy, but also as a result of the increasing frequency with which vertebral canal or nerve root canal stenosis syndromes are recognized and treated. At the same time there was a tendency to include in stenotic pathology other pathological conditions responsible for lumbo-radicular syndromes. This led to dilation of the concept of stenosis, which perhaps no longer responded to reality, and which was not useful from a practical point of view. The need to define stenotic pathology and to correctly locate it within the vast field of lumbar pathology inspired the writing of this volume. This monograph gathers many diagnostic and therapeutic concepts matured at our In stitution over the years. Some of these concepts have already been defined in scientific meet ings or in publications."

Radiologists who already use the SOMATOM PLUS computed tomography system discuss their experiences in this report of a User Conference in March, 1990. The distinct advantage of this system in which the whole measuring system rotates continuously is emphasized. More than fifty participants from nine European countries present scientific papers, discuss clinical experience and consider future prospects.

Numerous diseases in the areas of orthopaedics, rheumatology, and radiology can only be completely diagnosed if the corresponding conditions of the skin and mucous membranes are included in the diagnostic work-up (skin-bone). Conversely, dermatologic assessment of skin symptoms in isolation may lead to serious delays and errors in the diagnosis and treatment of associated changes in the musculoskeletal system. This monograph gives an interdisciplinary synopsis, from a dermatologic and clinical radiologic perspective, of 85 disease entities which in practice are likley to present. For orientation purposes the main dermatologic and radiologic symptoms are presented in table form at the beginning of the book.

This volume contains information on the diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis of spinal tumors. Various aspects of different major types of spinal tumors (astrocytomas, ependymomas, and oligodendroglioma) are discussed. Insights into the understanding of molecular pathways involved in tumor biology are explained. Classification of intradural spinal tumors, including the percentages of each of the three major types, is detailed. Symptoms, radiological features, and clinicopathological parameters of spinal cord tumors are explained. Diagnosis, outcome, and prognosis of primary spinal cord and oligodendroglioma are discussed. Diagnosis of some other spinal tumors (e.g., pilomyxoid and chordomas) is also explained. The useful role of neuroimaging in diagnosing spinal teratoid/rhabdoid and gangliogliomas is included. A wide variety of treatments of a number of spinal cord tumor types are presented in detail. Therapies discussed include chemotherapy, surgery, radiosurgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, Cyberknife stereotactic radiotherapy, standard radiation alone, and rhenium-186 intracavity radiation. Also are duiscussed embolozation and spondylectomy. The usefulness of transplantation of human embryonic stem cells-derived oligodendrocyte progenitors and motoneuron progenitors in the repair of injured spinal cord is emphasized. Symptoms of the advent of spinal tumors are pointed out. Introduction to new technologies and their applications to spinal cord tumor diagnosis, treatment, and therapy assessment are explained.

The rapidly growing area of nuclear medicine imaging receives only limited attention in broad-based medical dictionaries. This encyclopedic dictionary is intended to fill the gap. More than 400 entries of between one and three paragraphs are included, defining and carefully explaining terms in an appropriate degree of detail. The dictionary encompasses concepts used in planar, SPECT, and PET imaging protocols and covers both scanner operations and popular data analysis approaches. In spite of the mathematical complexities in the acquisition and analysis of images, the explanations given are easy to understand and many helpful concrete examples are provided. The book will be ideal for those who wish to obtain a rapid grasp of a concept beyond a definition of a few words but do not have the time to search the reference literature. The almost tutorial-like style accommodates the needs of students, nuclear medicine technologists, and varieties of other medical professionals.

The production of a textbook of the pathology of bone work with isotopic markers to refine their classifica- tion. tumours is a hard task to embark upon, but Andre In this book, the author takes up a firm position Mazabraud has certainly succeeded. about the difference between osteoid osteoma and oste- It is the outcome of a very long experience, provided oblastoma, about "tumoral associations" and about the initially by his hospital training, then by his collabora- so-called malignant forms of disorders described as tion with Rutishauser at the Institut de Pathologie at benign. His personal stamp is evident throughout the Geneva and with Dahlin at the Mayo Clinic. The bonds various chapters. he forged then have never been loosened. Certainly, treatment in the area is rapidly changing Subsequently, his duties as head of the department and advancing, but this book does not risk obsoles- of pathology at the Institut Curie directed him finally cence since treatment is not its focus. The extent and towards tumour pathology. At the Institute, he was not nature of the author's experience explain the essentially satisfied with routine examinations but very soon linked anatomo-pathological orientation taken by this semi- up with the research team and worked especially on nal book. It also provides valuable clinical information Ewing's sarcoma and the problems of ultrastructure, and a good radiological study.

A multidisciplinary overview of techniques for monitoring acute head trauma patients is given in this book. It includes neuroimaging procedures (TCD, MRI, SPECT) and multiple neurophysiological approaches: EEG, videomonitoring and integrated computer systems with clinical applications. Results that have been obtained by using new drugs to protect the brain as well as progress made in recovering techniques are emphasized. The long-term consequences of acute lesions are also discussed. The relationship between acute and long-term seizures is studied in posttraumatic epilepsy cases, and the relationship between neurophysiological and long-term clinical patterns, especially in posttraumatic epilepsy, is discussed. The socio-economic costs of traffic accidents are analysed - based on data from epidemiological studies - and then compared with reported data.

I am particularly pleased to be able to write the introduction to this book that resulted from a collaborative effort by the Radiology De partment, under the auspices of the Boerhaave Committee for Postgraduate Medical Education of the Faculty of Medicine, at the University of Leiden and the Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences at Van derbilt University. Magnetic resonance imaging affords the opportunity to interrogate organ and system structure and function in a nondestructive manner without se rious biological implications. Tissue contrast with this modality is ex quisite and inherently superior to that of x-ray computed tomography. The advances to improve signal capture, development of rapid data acquisition techniques, fabrication of more appropriate pulse sequences, and availa bility of contrast agents portend increased versatility and specificity of these studies. Despite the proliferation of numerous general and specialized texts, the developments in MRI occur at such a pace that data in these references are necessarily dated. The technical horizon of MRI is vast with almost li mitless possibilities of signal generation and plan reconstruction. Tissue contrast is so importantly affected by the coupling of signal generation and capture that collective experience of institutions and investigators is extremely important to the initiate and useful even to those indivi duals with the greatest clinical experience."

These collected papers represent only a small part of the large amount of new work in the field of stereotaxy. The number of contributions to the Birmingham meeting was such that only selected papers, chosen as representative of advances in the field, could be printed. These papers present the most up to date accounts of major advances in stereotactic imaging and the renewed interest in the stereotactic treatment of movement disorders. Contents Section I. Stereotactic Imaging, Tumours and Haematomas Lipinski, H. G., Struppler, A., Birk, P.: Transformation Modes in Computerized Human Thalamic Brain Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 3 . . . Giunta, F., Marini, G., Bertossi, M.: Stereotactic Computer Graphic System with Brain Maps. . ., 7 Giorgi, c., Cerchiari, U., Broggi, G., Contardi, N., Birk, P., Struppler, A: An Intraoperative Interactive Method to Monitor Stereotactic Functional Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . ., . . . 10 Giorgi, c., Cerchiari, u., Broggi, G., Passerini, A.: 3-D Reconstruction of Cerebral Angiography in Stereotactic Neurosurgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 13 . . Vandermeulen, D., Suetens, P., Gybels, J., Oosteriinck, A: Angiographic Localizer Ring for the BRW Stereotactic System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ., . . 15 . . . Uematsu, S., Rosenbaum, A. E., Erozan, Y. S., Gupta, P. K., Moses, H., Nauta, H. J., Rigsby, W. H., Wang, A, Weiderman, L., Kumar, A J.: Intraoperative CT Monitoring During Stereotactic Brain Surgery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 18 . . .