M.W. Donner

Until the middle of the present century, the morphology and function of the thymus were primarily of interest to those working in the fields of pathologic anatomy, endo­ crinology, and pediatrics. However, during recent decades careful and refined histo­ logic studies of the organ have expanded our knowledge. It now seems certain that the thymus plays a central role in the immune system, and some of the substances pro­ duced by this organ are considered together under the collective term of "thymic hor­ mones". In clinical medicine (in particular endocrinology and pediatrics, as well as surgery and radiologic oncology), the startling advances that have taken place in radiologic diagnostics with the advent of new imaging procedures such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have provided fresh impetus in the search for effec­ tive treatments for hyperplasia, tumors, and tumor-like changes of the thymus. Normal variants of the thymus, which lies concealed within the anterior superior mediastinum, have been recorded, and pathologic changes such as primary or secondary tumors can now be analyzed and correctly diagnosed.

The methods of interventional neuroradiology represent a distinct and difficult branch with­ in the new field of interventional radiology. The editor of this volume, Anton Valavanis, is a pioneer in this area, and one of the outstanding neuroradiologists in the world. Furthermore, he has brought together the foremost scientists and clinical neuroradiologists in the field to present the individual chapters. The book gives an overview ofthe state of the art in interventional neuroradiology. Each of the 12 chapters is devoted to a disease which can be treated by interventional neuroradio­ logical techniques. Pertinent information is provided on anatomical detail, technical back­ ground, and clinical aspects; in each case a detailed description of the indications, techniques, and possible complications of interventional neuroradiology is provided. Due consideration is given to the endovascular and nonvascular applications of the techniques. This book is the first comprehensive update of interventional neuroradiology and will acquaint the reader with well-established facts, recent advances, and future perspectives within this new discipline. It will be of special value to those working in neuroradiology but will also prove very helpful for neurosurgeons, neurologists, and ophthalmologists, as well as all physicians and researchers in the clinical neurosciences. We hope that the book will meet with the reception and success that it undoubtedly merits.

For a long time the morphologic diagnosis of diseases of the pancreas - which is the most hidden organ of the abdomen - by means of radiologic methods was inade­ quate. Diagnostic radiology of pancreatic diseases has been revolutionized by new cross-sectional methods such as computed tomography with volume CT scanning, further progress in ultrasonography in the form of color duplex Doppler, and magnetic resonance imaging. Therefore we had the idea of publishing an up-to-date treatise on radiology of the pancreas in order to convey the contributions made by various new imaging modalities for the diagnosis of pancreatic disorders. The editors of this volume are outstanding specialists in diagnostic radiology of the abdomen. Albert L. Baert is the author of one of the very first books on computed tomography of the body, published by Springer-Verlag in 1980. Since then he has published extensively on this method, especially as it is applied to the abdomen. He is a well-known teacher on computed tomography of the body, and especially the pancreas, and on diagnostic angiography. As a publisher he is active on the editorial boards of several radiologic journals. Guy Delorme has published extensively on the radio diagnosis of the digestive system. Moreover he has been very active as editor of French textbooks and was the chief editor of the volume dealing with the liver, biliary ducts, spleen, and pancreas in the prestigious series Traite du radiodiagnostic covering the whole field of diagnostic radiology.

Significant recent advances in the imaging of the lower urinary tract are comprehensively presented in this handbook. It offers information on both imaging examinations and interventional techniques with all the modern modalities, including MRI and ultrasound. The contributors are all experts in clinical urology; their varying and at times conflicting opinions track the fast-moving pace in the field and demonstrate the complexity of the subject. The approach is disease-oriented, though grouped by anatomic region. Each chapter covers etiology, physiology, pathology, epidemiology, clinical presentations and especially diagnostic imaging, but also the appropriate interventional radiologic techniques for both diagnosis and treatment.

The biologic effects of radiation on normal tissues and tumors represent a complex area for investigation. These effects are of far-reaching consequence to the diagnostic radiologist and the radiation oncologist having a significant impact not only in concepts relative to radiation protection but also in concepts relative to tumor biology and its response to radiation injury. The volume edited by SCHERER, STREFFER, and TROTT represents an extension of basic radiation biology data into the effects of radiation in producing pathology in organs and tissues. The data presented by the multiple authors involved in this text cover essentially all tissues in the body with specific definition of radiopathology changes and their impact on clinical care of the patient. This volume represents an important and significant contribution toward a better understanding of these effects and the pathology produced by radiations. L. W. BRADY H.-P. HEILMANN F. HEUCK M. W. DONNER Philadelphia Hamburg Stuttgart Baltimore Preface This book represents an attempt to describe the clinical radiobiology of complications arising in different organs after radiotherapy of cancer patients. Since by their very nature malignant tumors infiltrate the organ in which they have arisen and the neighboring tissues, curative radiotherapy requires the planned irradiation of considerable amounts of healthy but potentially or microscopically involved normal tissues and organs with the full target dose. This may lead to early or late normal tissue radiation injury.