Edited by Gian Piero Carboni and Costanza Goffredo. Il Pensiero Cientifico Editore, Rome, 2002: 300 pp., 17 figs., 164 tables and CD-ROM. ISBN 88-490-0048-0.
Atherosclerotic disease of the coronary, cerebrovascular, and peripheral arteries is one of most important epidemiological and public health problems in the modern world. The vascular location of the disease means that the function of many organs and systems can be affected, so atherosclerosis has consequences whose study and treatment interest a broad spectrum of healthcare professionals.
In the book being reviewed, Imaging vascolare mediante ultrasuoni (Vascular imaging by ultrasound), its authors, Gian Piero Carboni and Costanza Goffredo, experts in non-invasive cardiology of the Biomedical University, Campus of Rome, have contributed their vast experience in the study of the cardiovascular system by echo-Doppler ultrasound imaging to the systematic examination of the characteristics of vascular disease. Starting with embryology and continuing with anatomy, they exhaustively describe the clinical and therapeutic aspects of disorders of the arterial, venous, and lymphatic systems.
The diseases of the aorta (dissection and aneurysm), carotids, and peripheral arteries are studied separately in broad detail, focusing on certain aspects of singular importance, like cerebral stroke and carotid disease. The aorta is studied by sections. The section dedicated to the aortic arch offers detailed findings about carotid dissection, subclavian disease, and aortocoronary grafts for myocardial revascularization. Aneurysms of the abdominal aorta are described in a separate chapter.
In the venous system, preferential attention is given to deep vein thrombosis and certain points of its treatment with endovascular filters. The diagnosis of lymphedema and its differentiation from other vascular processes occupies much of the text dedicated to the lymphatic disorders.
After a meticulous description of specific diseases in the first 6 chapters of the book, the next 10 chapters of the second part describe general information about the study of vascular diseases, from their etiopathogenesis to aspects of diagnosis, prevention, and medical or surgical treatment. The specific characteristics of vascular disease in the elderly and in athletes are discussed in various chapters.
At the end of each chapter, a carefully selected and up-to-date reference section allows the interested reader to further explore each topic.
The book is accompanied by a CD containing 100 clinical cases with more than 500 echo-Doppler images to illustrate in a practical and very convincing way the entire contents of this major work.
Although Spanish readers can understand Italian text, the interest of this book for cardiologists, angiologists, radiologists, and surgeons is such that the translation into Spanish of this interesting work would be justified.