Functional Neuroimaging

a way which facilitates both detailed reading and quick reference; each of these activities is rendered interesting and enjoyable. Throughout this book, the text is pertinent and the illustrations superb. One of the introductory chapters on normal cells and contaminants in CSF will be particularly useful to trainees. A chapter on general cytological principles would have helped clinicians. Inflammatory disease, vascular disorders, degenerative and demyelinating diseases, leukaemia and lymphoma, metastatic tumours, and primary central nervous system neoplasms are discussed in subsequent chapters so that the entire field of diagnostic neurocytopathology is covered. The cytology of AIDS-related illnesses, particularly opportunistic infections is a feature. In all these chapters, colour photomicrographs correlate CSF cytological appearances with wet tissue smear preparations and paraffin-embedded tissue sections. The application of immunohistochemistry to CSF and brain aspirates are discussed and illustrated. Another chapter outlines cytogenetic and molecular genetic aspects of nervous system tumours. This really is a superb and unrivalled volume which can be recommended to clinicians as well as pathologists. It is pricey but this is justified by the quality of the illustrations. J H XUEREB