Book Review: THE NEUROLOGICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROMES

THE NEUROLOGICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROMES

edited by L.L. Barton and N.R. Friedman, 421 pp., Totowa, NJ, Humana Press, 2008, $139

Pediatric neuroinfectious diseases is an evolving and important neurologic subspecialty. The Neurological Manifestations of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunodeficiency Syndromes is the only available text focused primarily on this subject. Doctors Leslie L. Barton, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist, and Neil R. Friedman, a pediatric neurologist, produced a complete reference with a target audience that includes residents, general pediatricians, pediatric critical care specialists, pediatric infectious disease specialists, and pediatric neurologists.

The book is organized into 8 sections. The first 6 refer to all major classes of infectious agents, while the last 2 include immunodeficiencies and general clinical management principles. Each neuropathogen is covered with a common format that provides both basic information for the generalist as well as specific evidence-based management for the pediatric neuroinfectious diseases specialist. There is a complete list of references at the end of each chapter. Important data are plentiful and displayed in 27 tables and multiple figures (8 MRIs, 7 photographs, 4 CTs, and 2 EEGs). There is a complete index for reference use, but the writing style also facilitates a cover-to-cover overview of the subspecialty.

The editors, and contributing authors, succeeded in fulfilling the needs of interested readers with variable backgrounds and expertise who encounter pediatric neuroinfectious diseases. Organization of the book by neuropathogen favors the perspective of the infectious disease specialist rather than that of the neurologist, who may categorize by diseases instead. Neurology residents and fellows will find this book useful for managing patients, but it is too detailed to be an appropriate resource for board review. The Neurological Manifestations of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunodeficiency Syndromes will endure as the seminal text of the emerging subspecialty of pediatric neuroinfectious diseases.