Congenital Heart Disease. Textbook of Angiocardiography
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* Carlos M. Li

**CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE. TEXTBOOK OF ANGIOCARDIOGRAPHY**. Volume I. Robert M. Freedom, John B. Mawson, Shi-Joon Yoo and Leland N. Benson. 662 pp. Illust. Futura Publishing Company, Inc., Armonk, NY. 1997. US$275. ISBN 0-87993-656-8 (2-volume set)

A textbook on congenital heart disease from Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children has the unenviable task of maintaining the standard of excellence set by Keith, Rowe and Vlad in their *Heart Disease in Infancy and Childhood*. Drs. Freedom, Mawson, Yoo and Benson have successfully done this in their new reference of angiocardiography in congenital heart disease.

Although directed mainly to angiographers working in the field of pediatric heart disease, it is clear that everyone involved in the care of this patient population will benefit from this book. Pediatric cardiac surgeons will appreciate the clear, concise description of surgically relevant angiographic features. These include examples of coronary artery patterns in transposition of the great arteries, subaortic anatomy in single ventricles and flow patterns after bidirectional Glenn procedures. Where appropriate, morphologic correlation is provided along with photographs of anatomic specimens and diagrams. A concise, pointed discussion is provided at the start of each chapter emphasizing relevant issues for decision-making in patient management. These discussions will be appreciated by all, including medical students rotating through the service. Importantly, new advances in catheter intervention methods of angioplasty and occlusion are discussed where applicable. The expertise of the contributing authors is obvious in their directed discussions.

As a reference textbook of angiography, the book’s success depends largely on the scope and quality of the illustrations. With the hospital’s long history in treating patients with congenital heart disease, it is not surprising that there are numerous examples of the different anatomic conditions. But what is unique is the consistent, superb quality of the illustrations, which emphasize the key features. The numerous photographs of anatomic specimens and diagrams enhance the instructional quality of the angiograms and are of equally excellent quality.

The book is sensibly organized, progressing in a “segmental” fashion through the various abnormalities associated with the individual cardiac chambers and their connections. The topics presented thoroughly encompass the field of pediatric cardiology, and the text includes a chapter on conjoined twins and ectopia cordis. An extensive, up-to-date list of references is provided at the end of each chapter.

The great effort put forth by this team of experienced authors is obvious from the quality and scope of this work. Anyone involved with the care of patients with congenital heart disease will benefit from studying this textbook. Although echocardiography has assumed a larger diagnostic role in this field, angiocardiography remains an important instrument in the management of these patients. Without hesitation I recommend that all libraries consider this excellent book as an important reference source on pediatric cardiac angiography and put a copy on their shelves.