Differential Diagnosis In Neurology

"There is an apocryphal story of an eminent neurology professor who was asked to provide a differential diagnosis. He allegedly quipped: "I can't give you a differential diagnosis. If you wish I will give you a list of wrong diagnoses followed by the right diagnosis." Sadly, this sort of arrogance pervaded our field, particularly in the era before there were accurate diagnostic methods and effective treatments of neurological diseases. Fortunately, this sort of pomposity is now relegated to the past and remains only as an antique reminder of a type of hubris that precluded discovery and progress in diseases of the nervous system"--

The essence of 'differential diagnosis' is 'splitting' rather than 'lumping'. It requires bringing knowledge to the table and then adding experience. Based on the author's daily morning reports with neurology residents, this book is meant to be a skeleton that gives the clinician a general background with regard to the disease at hand.

The purpose of an exercise in differential diagnosis is to establish crosslinks between medical facts stored in different sections of our memory. This book, Differential Diagnosis in Neurology, is the unified perspective of an eminent physician with decades of clinical experience and teaching; one of the most skilled clinical neurologists of modern times and a seasoned researcher who was the primary investigator for many clinical trials, and who published numerous clinical and basic research papers. The “real world” aspects of the book are based on morning reports with neurology residents and students conducted over 40 years. The differential diagnosis generated by subspecialty division chiefs supplemented those proposed in morning reports. The book is conceived as a guide that will give the clinician a concise snapshot or skeleton with a general background of the disease at hand. Other disease aspects included in this book are molecular genetics, physiology, and biochemistry that will elucidate mechanisms and assist in discovering new entities. Each chapter includes an extensive list of suggestions for further reading. It is the art of crosslinking between medical facts that distinguishes Dr. Schwartzman from other teachers of Neurology and that makes this book uniquely valuable. “The essence of a differential diagnosis is ‘splitting’ rather than ‘lumping’: it requires bringing knowledge to the table and then adding experience.” - R.J. Schwartzman

Neurology is primarily characterized by a variety of diseases which seem very similar and are therefore difficult to distinguish between. Skill at differential diagnosis is therefore absolutely paramount. Neurological Differential Diagnosis is a streamlined handbook of prioritized differential diagnosis, to be used both in clinical practice and for exam review. By presenting differential diagnosis in order of frequency and importance, this book provides a practical handbook for clinicians in training, as well as a potential resource for quick board review. Whilst the book covers the most important syndromes and disease entities, readers are referred to other texts for more exhaustive differentials. By limiting differentials in this way - to the most likely and most serious diagnoses - the reader can more easily recall relevant disease processes when faced with a particular clinical situation, whether it be a patient in the emergency room or a difficult question on the board examination. The book specifically targets neurology residents and fellows, with overlap to neurosurgery and psychiatry. Internal medicine physicians with an interest in neurological problems and medical students looking for an edge in clinical neuroscience would also benefit from this text. The content is primarily mid-level material, in a pedagogic format. In order to organize the students' thought processes concise tables and line drawing templates are included. The book is organized into broad chapters by type of disorder and some overlap occurs between particular chapters.

This pocket-sized Thieme flexibook offers quick, reliable clarification of a wide and often confusing array of presenting symptoms. The book provides vital diagnostic information in a convenient tabular format that leaves no stone unturned in considering the rarer possibilities, and is enormously helpful in achieving an accurate diagnosis. Handy and comprehensive, it is ideal for physicians involved in examining and admitting patients who require neurosurgical intervention.

An introductory text that transitions into a moderately advanced, case-based analysis of neurologic disorders and diseases, this book emphasizes how to simplify the process of making a neurologic diagnosis. Medical students and residents are often intimidated by a deluge of data, perception of anatomic complexity, extensive differential diagnoses, and often have no organized structure to follow. Diagnostic methods of general medicine are not applicable. Indeed, neurology is a unique specialty since it requires the intermediary step of an anatomic diagnosis prior to proffering a differential diagnosis. Yet the required knowledge of neuroanatomy need not be profound for the student or resident who will not specialize in neurology or neurosurgery. The Neurologic Diagnosis: A Practical Bedside Approach, 2nd Edition is primarily directed to neurology and neurosurgery residents but it will be useful for medical and family practice residents who will discover that a great percentage of their patients have neurologic symptoms. A one-month neurology rotation out of four years of medical school is not sufficient to make a cogent neurologic diagnosis. The aim of this concise, practical book -- which includes an in-depth video of how to perform a neurologic examination -- is to facilitate the process of establishing a neuroanatomic diagnosis followed by a rigorous analysis of symptoms and signs to reach a well-thought out differential diagnosis. Focused and succinct, this book is an invaluable resource for making a lucid neurologic diagnosis.

Neurological Differential Diagnosis is a practical, comprehensive, and highly illustrated book covering all aspects of neurology, from clinical history taking and examination to management of neurological conditions, and their complications. This book consists of 46 chapters, beginning with clinical history and neurological examination. Subsequent chapters detail the ideal approach to patients with a vast range of neurological conditions, from epilepsy and coma, to dementia, gait disorders, and lower backache. Neurological Differential Diagnosis includes over 250 full colour images and illustrations, which enhance the range of common and rare neurological conditions covered, making this an ideal reference guide for neurologists. Key Points Highly illustrated guide to neurological examination 46 chapters cover extensive range of neurological conditions 257 full colour images and illustrations