During the twenty years the authors have been associated with the field of radiation ecology, there has been a diversified and increasing use of radionuclides in applied and basic biological research. Prior to the advent of the atomic age in the 1940s the use of radionuclides as tracers was initiated, and following that period one observed a dramatically increased use in many disciplines. Concurrent with this increase there appeared many books and articles on radionuclide tech niques useful to biologists in general. Although only a few ecological applications were evident in these early years, ecologists were quick to see the opportunities available in their field. In the United States, major centers for such activities included Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the U. S. Atomic Energy Com mission's Savannah River Plant. At Oak Ridge National Laboratory Dr. Stanley I. Auerbach, director of ecological activities, encouraged with remarkable suc cess the use of tracers by his associates. Dr. Eugene P. Odum had the foresight to see that radionuclide tracers provided the means to solve many problems of interest to ecologists. Consequently, his research included some unique radio tracer applications at the Savannah River Plant. In addition he encouraged others involved in ecological activities at the Savannah River Plant to do likewise. Ecologists such as Dr. Robert C. Pendleton at the U. S. Atomic Energy Com mission's Hanford Works applied radionuclides in their research. To these early investigators and to those who followed we owe the oppportunity to write this book.

Central nervous system (CNS) infections continue to pose a serious problem in health care even with improved knowledge and treatment. Despite the introduction of newer antimicrobial agents and diagnostic techniques, the morbidity and mortality associated with CNS infections remain high. The morbidity associated with CNS infections may be even more important than the death rate especially in developing countries as neurological sequelae may deprive the survivors of intellect and physical ability, demeaning the quality of life and burdening health resources and social services. MR imaging is an important integral part of the protocol for the management of CNS infections and MR spectroscopy is increasingly being utilized in its management. This work is an attempt to provide a comprehensive review of imaging and spectroscopy of the commonly encountered CNS infections in the clinical practice in developing and developed countries. The first chapter deals with basic physical principles of MR imaging and spectroscopy that will help beginners to understand the technical terms used in subsequent chapters. The remaining 10 chapters deal with clinical, pathological, MR imaging and spectroscopy features and their applications in CNS infections. This will help in giving a comprehensive understanding to readers with a background in clinical, radiological, basic MRI, and neurological sciences. The T2 hypointense lesions are a real diagnostic dilemma especially in developing countries for which an algorithm has been suggested in the concluding chapter.

This book has grown out of our shared experience in the development of the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL), based on the electron-positron storage ring SPEAR at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) starting in Summer, 1973. The immense potential of the photon beam from SPEAR became obvious as soon as experiments using the beam started to run in May, 1974. The rapid growth of interest in using the beam since that time and the growth of other facilities using high-energy storage rings (see Chapters 1 and 3) demonstrates how the users of this source of radiation are finding applications in an increasingly wide variety of fields of science and technology. In assembling the list of authors for this book, we have tried to cover as many of the applications of synchrotron radiation, both realized already or in the process of realization, as we can. Inevitably, there are omissions both through lack of space and because many projects are at an early stage. We thank the authors for their efforts and cooperation in producing what we believe is the most comprehensive treatment of synchrotron radiation research to date.

As an addition to the European postgraduate training system for young neurosurgeons we began to publish in 1974 this series of Advances and Technical Standards in Neurosurgery which was later sponsored by the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies. This series was first discussed in 1972 at a combined meeting of the Italian and German Neurosurgical Societies in Taormina, the founding fathers of the series being Jean Brihaye, Bernard Pertuiset, Fritz Loew and Hugo Krayenbiihl. Thus were established the principles of European co operation which have been born from the European spirit, flourished in the European Association, and have throughout been associated with this series. 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 we 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.

Distance measurements in biological systems by EPR The foundation for understanding function and dynamics of biological systems is knowledge of their structure. Many experimental methodologies are used for determination of structure, each with special utility. Volumes in this series on Biological Magnetic Resonance emphasize the methods that involve magnetic resonance. This volume seeks to provide a critical evaluation of EPR methods for determining the distances between two unpaired electrons. The editors invited the authors to make this a very practical book, with specific numerical examples of how experimental data is worked up to produce a distance estimate, and realistic assessments of uncertainties and of the range of applicability, along with examples of the power of the technique to answer biological problems. The first chapter is an overview, by two of the editors, of EPR methods to determine distances, with a focus on the range of applicability. The next chapter, also by the Batons, reviews what is known about electron spin relaxation times that are needed in estimating distances between spins or in selecting appropriate temperatures for particular experiments. Albert Beth and Eric Hustedt describe the information about spin-spin interaction that one can obtain by simulating CW EPR line shapes of nitroxyl radicals. The information in fluid solution CW EPR spectra of dual-spin labeled proteins is illustrated by Hassane Mchaourab and Eduardo Perozo.

Rheumatic inflammatory diseases represent a steadily increasing group of disorders that have considerable social impact through affected patients' worsening quality of life and require engagement in the health field. Among these, rheumatoid arthritis stands as the most frequent pathology, and the hand is the most typical affected area. The incidence of rheumatic arthritis, as indicated by recent epidemiological studies, is bound to undergo a further significant increase in the future. There is, therefore, a need for careful diagnosis of the disease, based on clinical criteria designed by the American College of Rheumatology and Diagnostic Imaging. The latter provides an objective assessment of the extent and severity of joint involvement.
Rheumatoid Hand includes 25 tables of clinical and radiological cases. The text analyses the capability of diagnostic imaging (conventional radiology, ultrasonography and magnetic resonance) to identify the early stages and the activity of disease, allowing the rheumatologist to decide on an effective therapeutic plan.

All diseases involving the lung are presented in alphabetical order. Each is discussed in the same way under the subheadings of definition, epidemiology, pathophysio- logy, clinical prognosis, radiology, gross and micro patho- logy, histomorphological descriptors, special stains, hall- mark of diagnosis and differential diagnosis.
"An encyclopedic collection of terms dealing with diseases and/or pathological conditions of the respiratory organs with the aim to give the reader rapid information about the essential aspects. This encyclopedic source can be recommended not only to pathologists but also to clinicians and practitioners faced with pulmonary diseases." (Experimental and Toxicologic Pathology)

Liver surgery has made extraordinary progress over the past 40 years, evolving from the first, timid partial resections in the 1950s to today's major resections and organ transplants. Examining the rea- sons for this progress, one cannot but be impressed by the substan- tial role that has been played by radiology. Formerly, preoperative planning was based on only nebulous scintigraphic scans. Today, surgeons have at their disposal a wide variety of radiological modalities for diagnosis and topography which are precise enough to exclude most operative surprises. Fur- thermore, the radiologist is becoming increasingly involved in ther- apy: prior to operation for tumor reduction by embolization and after resection for treatment of local complications - which could otherwise necessitate difficult and occasionally dangerous reoper- ations. As the author writes in his preface, it is not really astonishing that a radiologist is publishing a book on this topic, and he must be congratulated for his work-up, which combines important personal experience with a complete analysis of published papers on this topic.

The twentieth century was the century of the development of morphological cerebral imaging by tomodensitometry (TDM) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). In recent years new brain imaging methods were used in adults with neurological lesions, and more recently in adults with psychiatric disorders. Now it is also possible to use, most of these morphological and functional brain imaging methods in children.
This book presents the main morphological and functional brain imaging methods that we can use in the child. Two main applications are developped: physiopathological and therapeutical interest. The physiopathological approach is of a great interest, coupled with clinical evaluation in psychomotor disorders like hyperkinetic or Tourette syndrom, and in developmental disorders like autistic syndrom, mental retardation, Rett Syndrom ...

Radiosurgery is a rapidly developing form of minimally invasive neurosurgery. Selected papers from the first meeting of the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society in Stockholm, June 1993, reflect current multidisciplinary approaches to difficult intracranial neurosurgical problems. Neurosurgeons, radiotherapists, oncologists, radiobiologists, physicists and representatives of several other clinical disciplines inform about the state-of-the-art of radiosurgical treatment of a multitude of intracranial problems such as arteriovenous malformations, pituitary and pineal tumors, vestibular schwannomas as well as metastatic brain tumors and gliomas.

With the advent of CT we entered a new area of radiological imaging. Structures which rarely if ever were seen became apparent. In no part of the body was the impact of CT as profound as it was in the retroperitoneum. In the pre-CT area this region of the body could not be directly studied and only when gross abnormalities were present could they be appreciated. The best we could do was to try to identify a suspected process by studying its effect on surrounding organs whose position might have been affected by the growth. Urography, barium studies or angiography were employed in the hope that variation in the position of the vessels, ureter or bowel would lead us to the correct diagnosis. With computed tomography all this changed. Modern scanners, available to all today, permit us to appreciate details undreamed of only few years ago. The abundance of fat in this region helps to clearly show even the smallest of structures. We now have the ability to recognize small vessels, lymph nodes and fascial planes. We had a tool which permitted us to study structures which hitherto were only seen by the anatomist or during surgical dissection.

The second volume of Frontiers in European Radiology covers two very promising techniques in diagnostic radiology, namely digital radiography and nuclear mag netic resonance imaging. Leading experts in both fields from Europe and the Unit ed States were invited to give a critical overview; digital fluoroscopy is reported on mainly by American scientists since this technique has been developed primarily in the United States, while the results of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging are pre sented by British groups currently at the forefront of research in this field. The pa pers reflect the state of the art at mid-1981, when the contributors gathered for the yearly symposium on Current Topics in Diagnostic Radiology in Berne, Switzer land. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, also known as spin imaging or zeugmato graphy, has produced striking progress within the past few years - even within the past few months - as described in three papers of this volume. The images generally reflect the distribution of mobile protons contained within water and fats, and pro vide remarkable discrimination between different tissues. Malignant tissue might be identified with this technique, and a wide range of disorders associated with water concentration, diffusion, and flow would be amenable to study; the measurement of blood flow could be particularly interesting."

The sellar region and paranasal sinuses constitute the anatomical sections of the skull base in which pathological entities warrant interdisciplinary management. Processes originating in the paranasal sinuses can reach and involve the skull base in and around the sella, sometimes not respecting the natural dural boundary. On the other hand, lesions involving the sellar block, such as pituitary adenomas and meningiomas, can also extend downwards into the paranasal sinuses. The orbit and cavernous sinus may be subject to involvement and infiltration by both paranasal and sellar pathology. The advancement and new achievements of modern diagnostic procedures, such as high-resolution CT, three-dimensional reconstruc tion, MRI, and MRI angiography, as well as the detailed selective angiographic protocols and endovascular techniques, have increased the possibilities for surgical management of this type of pathology with extra- and intracranial involvement. Long-standing and intense inter disciplinary work has led to sophisticated operative approaches which for benign tumors allow total excision with preservation of structures and function, and for some malignant lesions permit an en bloc resec tion via a combined intracranial-extracranial approach. This volume reflects the work and scientific exchange which took place during the IV International Congress of the Skull Base Study Group, held in Hanover. Leading authorities in the basic sciences including anatomy joined with diagnosticians, clinicians, and surgeons from different fields to evaluate the state of the art of this topic in skull base surgery."

Rapid developments of new investigative techniques and diagnostic modalities such as CT and MRI have revolutionized modern diagnostic imaging. Dr. Sperber and her contributors expertly facilitate understanding of the fundamentals of pulmonary disorders and promote a realistic and appropriate use of the exciting new diagnostic modalities. Methodologies of choosing techniques are also discussed. The first section of the book reviews the applications of the various radiographic modalities. The second part is organized by disease - emphasizing the radiographic manifestations and indicating appropriate imaging techniques most useful for diagnosis.

Imaging techniques are often called upon in oncology in virtue of their essential role in tumor diagnosis, extension work up to various organs and detection of relapse. They are also indispensable in research and in clinical practice, allowing an objective assessment of tumoral regression in patients undergoing treatment. It is currently impossible to establish the management plan of a cancer patient or to obtain follow-up of such a patient under treatment without clinical and imaging confrontation.

Both the investigation and treatment of cancer of the oesophagus are comprehensively presented in Management of Oesophageal Carcinoma. This information is otherwise not easily available in one source. The chapters are written by experts in the fields of anatomy, cancer research, radiology, and thoracic surgery and give up-to-date information on this difficult disease. All aspects are covered: anatomy, epidemiology, endoscopic and radiologic diagnosis, pathology, surgical treatment, radiotherapy, palliative and laser therapy, and the management of complications. Surgeons will be especially interested in the discussion of the recent technique of oesophagectomy without formal thoracotomy, and the use of stapling devices. This complete reference is ideal for all clinics and medical centers specializing in thoracic surgery or treatment of oesophageal carcinoma.

Due to the ever increasing interest in the use of non-invasive ultrasonic methods in medical diagnostics on the one hand and the specific effects of ultrasound in medical therapy on the other, the questions of safety and optimal applications are topical and of great importance. For this reason the symposium "Ultrasound Interaction in Biology and Medicine," initiated and supported by the "International Organization of Medical Physics," took place. The organizers were the Institute of Applied Biophysics of the Martin-Luther-University, Halle (Saale), German Democratic Republic, in association with the Society for Physical and Mathematical Biology of the GDR along with other scientific organizations. Renowned and internationally noted specialists in the field of ultrasonics reported on the latest findings regarding the biological interaction of ultrasound, which promised future improvements in the methods of ultrasonic diagnostics and gave and up-to-date insight into the biological effectiveness of ultrasound. We are pleased to be able to publish selected contributions to this symposium collected in one volume. The methods of investigation, theoretical considerations and results concerning the interaction of ultrasound on molecular, cellular and system levels contained herein will remain up-to-date for a long time to come, providing thought provoking material for further inter-disciplinary basic research and medical application.

Diagnostic errors are important in all branches of medicine because they are an indication of poor patient care. As the number of malpractice cases continues to grow, radiologists will become increasingly involved in litigation. The aetiology of radiological error is multi-factorial. This book focuses on (1) some medico-legal aspects inherent to radiology (radiation exposure related to imaging procedures and malpractice issues related to contrast media administration are discussed in detail) and on (2) the spectrum of diagnostic errors in radiology. Communication issues between the radiologists and physicians and between the radiologists and patients are also presented. Every radiologist should understand the sources of error in diagnostic radiology as well as the elements of negligence that form the basis of malpractice litigation.

Oncological surgeons are often requested in their clinical practice to identify and manage uncommon and complex situations. It is therefore of the utmost importance that they are well aware of the most recent technological evolutions, in order to achieve the best possible results in term of oncological outcome, with a concern on quality of life and economical issues. Furthermore, new techniques can give a fundamental contribution in overcoming the limitations of standard approaches.

An essential aim of this book is to underline the great importance and the need of an effective coordination of multi-disciplinary care among surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, plastic surgeons and ancillary services, in order to optimise patient outcome.

This timely publication fills a large gap in the ophthalmic literature which has so far lacked a monograph on the clinically very important subject of macular edema. The book presents the most up-to-date scientific concepts concerning the etiology and pathogenesis of blood retinal barrier breakdown such as tight junction associated protein dysfunction, and changes in fluid transport properties of the retinal pigment epithelium. The bulk of the book is clinically oriented and addresses novel imaging and diagnostic techniques for the detection of macular edema as well as the clinical context of a panoply of ocular diseases which induce macular edema, such as diabetes, other vasculopathies, uveitis, and many others. New light is shed on the association between highly active antiretroviral therapy and the induction of macular edema in HIV-positive patients. Novel drug treatment regimens with steroids and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors as well as new ways of applying laser and surgical therapies are also discussed in detail, and practical treatment guidelines are given. This book will be helpful for vitreoretinal specialists as well as for the practising ophthalmologist confronted with patients suffering from macular edema.

There have been remarkable achievements in CT technology, workflow management and applications in the last couple of years. The introduction of 4- and 16-row multidetector technology has substantially increased acquisition speed and provides nearly isotropic resolution. These new technical possibilities had significant impact on the clinical use of CT and have yielded a broadening of the spectrum of applications, particularly in vascular, cardiac, abdominal, and trauma imaging.

This book presents the practical experience of an international expert group of radiologists and physicists with state-of-the-art multidetector-technology. The chapters in this book will facilitate a thorough understanding of 4- and 16-slice multidetector-row CT and its clinical applications. This will help to fully exploit the diagnostic potential of this technology.

In recent years there have been major advances in the fields of cardiovascular nuclear medicine and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. In nuclear cardiology more adequate tomographic systems have been designed for routine cardiac use, as well as new or improved quantitative analytic software packages both for planar and tomographic studies implemented on modern state-of-the-art workstations. In addition, artificial intelligence techniques are being applied to these images in attempts to interpret the nuclear studies in a more objective and reproducible manner. Various new radiotracers have been developed, such as antimyosin, labeled isonitriles, metabolic compounds, etc. Furthermore, alternative stress testing with dipyridamole and dobutamine has received much attention in clinical cardiac practice. Magnetic resonance imaging is a relative newcomer in cardiology and has already shown its merits, not only for anatomical information but increasingly for the functional aspects of cardiac performance. This book covers almost every aspect of quantitative cardiovascular nuclear medicine and magnetic resonance imaging. It will assist the nuclear medicine physician, the radiologist, the physicist/image processing specialist and the clinical cardiologist in understanding the nuclear medicine techniques used in cardiovascular medicine, and in increasing our knowledge of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.