Totally Accessible MRI: A User's Guide to Principles, Technology, and Applications (Book Review)

Book title: Totally Accessible MRI: A User's Guide to Principles, Technology, and Applications

Cover type: Soft cover
Name of author: Michael L. Lipton, MD, PhD
Number of pages: 313
Publisher: Springer
City and state of publication: New York, USA
Year of publication: 2008 Totally Accessible MRI is an outgrowth of more than a decade of experience of Dr. Michael L. Lipton, MD, PhD, in teaching magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) course at the Albert Einstein Medical College in New York. It is intended to anyone who has interest to understand MRI as it is used in clinical imaging and its behind-the-scene physics. As noted in the Foreword by a well-known MRI expert, Dr. Emanuel Kanal, MD, FACR, FISMR, AANG, Dr. Lipton has succeeded in modifying the ratio of "understanders" to "rote performers" in today's MRI society. The book is well sectioned into three parts, starting from the beginning with MRI physics, then moving on to MRI signal localization/optimization and ending with the advanced MRI applications. Dr. Lipton stresses on the most important point of understanding MR right on the first page that the single goal of imaging with MRI is "to differentiate the tissue in two adjacent locations based on the way that tissue behaves in the MRI environment." In doing so, he focuses the first part of the book in explaining a neat simplified version of spin, resonance, relaxation, image contrast and touches on the MRI hardware for better understanding of how MRI actually works. In the second part, he tells us how we create MR images from signal, discusses about spatial resolution, pulse sequences, image quality, artifacts and ends it with a brief discussion of MRI safety. The last section focuses on advanced applications including saturation techniques, fast imaging, 3D imaging, parallel imaging, MR angiography, diffusion, susceptibility and spectroscopy. The book is well organized into three parts that are better reviewed from the beginning to the end for better understanding. One of the most appealing aspects of the book that differ from many other books of the same kind is that it is written with an informal style. It, sometimes, is like listening to Dr. Lipton himself talking about the particular topic. Many analogies are made for better understanding of complex subjects, for example, an MR pulse sequence is compared with an orchestra, an example of resonance is made with a popular vocalist, or a smart analogy "L'Maison Magnetique" the pulse sequence menu displaying appetizer, entrees, specials and deserts. Many important points are made throughout the books in small yet concise summary boxes, good illustrations and clear explanations. The book is easy to swallow and digested for anyone who has an interest in understanding MRI. As said in the Foreword by Dr. Kanal, the difference among those who work with MRI with or without knowing its underlying physics and how to apply them may be small. However, a more in-depth understanding of MRI physics and applications is needed in certain situations that can affect image quality and diagnostic capability. Dr. Lipton has accomplished in assisting us in understanding MRI and applying the knowledge to the patient care.

Book review by Guest Editor, Rathachai Kaewlai, MD of the Department of Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.