Nuclear Medicine Board Review: Questions and Answers for Self-Assessment

E. Edmund Kim

doi:10.2967/jnumed.112.112391

C.R. Goldfarb, S.R. Parmett, L.S. Zuckier, F. Ongseng, M. Karam, and M.R. Chamarthy, eds.

New York, NY: Thieme, 2012, 208 pages, $49.99

Nuclear medicine remains a major subsection of the American Board of Radiology examination and has been appearing more frequently on certification examinations in other medical specialties. The American Board of Nuclear Medicine now mandates yearly learning and involvement in a self-assessment process in addition to the maintenance-of-certification examination every 10 y for its diplomates from 1992 onward.

Since the publication of the second edition of Nuclear Medicine Board Review, nuclear medicine has experienced significant evolution and growth. PET/CT has become the standard of oncologic care, SPECT/CT is growing in parallel, and PET/MRI will soon become a clinical tool. Radionuclide treatment has always been a core feature of nuclear medicine, and radioimmunotherapy or radiopeptide therapy is on the verge of substantial expansion.

This third edition adds hundreds of questions designed to encompass these developments, speed the grasping of relevant information, and enhance retention. However, the convenient question-and-answer format of the second edition has been retained. New appendices have been introduced and include terse tips for test takers, instant essentials for image interpreters, and must-know concepts, along with cases and calculations for everyone.

This book is organized into 4 chapters with 2,111 questions and answers. Chapter 1, with 272 questions, deals with the essentials of nuclear medicine. Chapter 2, with 1,416 questions, discusses single-photon applications. Chapter 3, with 398 questions, handles PET/CT. Finally, chapter 4, with 25 questions, deals with radionuclide therapy.

This concise text is ideal for all who need a quick and efficient review for the board examination. It is also a handy reference for residents, clinicians, and technologists, as it contains updated coverage of all major advances in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging.