British Journal of Radiology (2004) 77, 704
© 2004 British Institute of Radiology
doi:
Positron emission tomography. Basic science and clinical practice. By P E Valk, D L Bailey, D W Townsend and M N Maisey, pp. xix + 884, 2003 (Springer-Verlag, London, UK), £115.00 ISBN 1-85233-485-1
A Jackson
This is a large, weighty tome dealing with clinical applications of PET in considerable technical detail. The book is divided into 10 parts with the initial 12 chapters in part one on the basic sciences and development of PET imaging, tracer kinetic modelling in PET, quantitative methods for PET and the development of molecular markers for PET. Part two looks at applications in the central nervous system with seven chapters looking at specific clinical areas including dementia, movement disorders and cerebrovascular disease. Part three looks at cardiorespiratory applications focusing on pulmonary function and myocardial perfusion and viability. Part four, which is a large component of the book, with 18 chapters looks at the applications of PET in oncology with excellent detailed sections written by leading figures in the oncological imaging field, which cover the majority of oncological applications. Part five on infectious diseases and six on paediatrics are relatively small but detailed and parts seven, eight, nine and ten deal with technology developments, the evaluation of PET technology and its use in none clinical applications such as drug development and gene therapy.
I would not pretend to have read this book from cover to cover. I have, however, dipped repeatedly and in some depth into some of its parts and have found it to be an incredibly useful source of education. The descriptions of the technical applications of PET and its problems and of the isotopes available are excellent. Some sections inevitably become highly mathematical but there is good text explanation of the implications of the maths and the less mathematically literate should not be put off reading these chapters since they are well constructed and the major points are made quite clearly without recourse to the maths.
Overall this is a superb book for anybody working with PET, whether it be as an introduction to the speciality or for those really quite experienced in specific areas. For those seeking an introduction to applications of PET in particular clinical diseases it is absolutely excellent, giving not only a superb up to date overview of the application but also strong referencing, which allows the reader to find appropriate articles in any given area.
I would not have any hesitation in recommending this book to clinicians involved in PET imaging at any level.
