Neurologic Differential Diagnosis

"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"--

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.

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.

This unique text fills the gap between shorter texts, containing little explanatory material, and the compendia, for those advanced in the field of neurological disorders. It is written both for novices and for physicians who require an update on the subject. To understand the symptoms and signs requires a sound knowledge of the gross anatomy of the central nervous system and supporting tissues. This book achieves this using the author's own detailed diagrams, backed up with concise and practical guidance on diagnosis and treatment, as well as relevant case studies.The long-awaited second edition of this highly popular guide reflects such recent advances as computed tomography and MRI. The tutorial approach presents readers with an authoritative view of the fundamentals of practical neurology.

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

* Portable reference of disease processes * Organized by lists and tables * Lists most common causes of specific neurologic problems first

The majority of doctors are ill at ease when confronted by a those conditions that are diagnosed almost exclusively patient with a neurological problem. Candidates for qualify on symptoms such as headache, face pain and loss of ing examinations and higher diplomas dread that they will be consciousness. Throughout, an attempt has been made to preserve the allocated a neurological "long case". This is a serious reflection on the adequacy of training in "common things are common" approach which is widely neurology. It is still possible in some medical schools for a rumoured to be the secret of passing examinations, and is student to go through his entire clinical course without an also the basis of good clinical practice. Rare disorders are attachment to the neurological unit. Increasing competition discussed briefly, but it is important that beginners realise for teaching time has led to the situation where in most U. S. that rare diseases are usually diagnosed when it becomes medical schools and at least one new medical school in the apparent that the disorder does not fit into any of the U. K. , a two-week clinical attachment to the neurology common clinical pictures. The first aim therefore should be to service is considered adequate. Those fortunate enough to gain a very good grasp of the common disorders rather than attend a post-graduate course find a minimum of three attempting to learn long lists of very rare diseases.