BOOK REVIEW

THIEME Atlas of Anatomy: Headand Neuroanatomy, edited byLawrence M. Ross, Edward D.Lamperti, and Ethan Taub; authorsMichael Schünke, Erik Schulte,and Udo Schumacher

HEAD SECTION (169 PAGES)As the authors stated in the preface, “. . . the goal was

to provide illustrations that would compellingly dem-onstrate anatomical relationships and concepts” and“. . .create an atlas that would guide students in theirinitial study. . . .” In my mind, the authors, togetherwith the illustrators, have accomplished this task. Theillustrations are superb. A novice can easily grasp basicgross anatomical relationships as well as basic neuro-anatomy concepts by relying solely on the illustrations.

While calling itself an atlas, this volume reads like awell-illustrated textbook of gross anatomy. This shouldnot be taken as a criticism. In fact, this Atlas could wellserve the needs of a head-centered gross anatomycourse. In addition to the numerous illustrations and thesummary review tables, simplistic, schematic diagramsof particularly difficult concepts (e.g., pterygopalatinefossa, nerve supply to the temporomandibular joint[TMJ]) are plentiful and depict important anatomicalrelationships in an easy-to-grasp manner. For the dentalstudent in particular, and any student of gross anatomyin general, there is adequate coverage of the mandible,dentition, and the TMJ. The section on the cranialnerves, which includes their peripheral distribution andcentral connections, is outstanding. Of particular valueare the diagrams of the external region and internalsection of the brainstem related to the cranial nerve.These figures complement the illustrations and tablesfound in the neuroanatomy and brainstem chapters.Used in tandem, the entire intracranial and extracranialcourse of all the cranial nerves, including their associ-ated cranial nerve nuclei and ganglia, can be easilyfollowed and understood. To be most effective, I wouldsuggest placing most of this cranial nerve informationinto the neuroanatomy section of the Atlas. It wouldcomplement the information already presented in thatsection.

An appealing feature of the Atlas is the provision of

supplemental histological information for many regions

of the head (e.g., tongue and taste buds, cornea, retina,cochlea). Yoking the microscopic anatomy with thegross structures ensures a more complete understandingthe subject matter. To that end, another unique featureof the head section of the Atlas is the inclusion ofclinically relevant information illustrated by simpledrawings (e.g., bimanual exam of the salivary glands;lymphatic drainage of the tongue and oral floor). Pre-senting similar information as a package allows thestudent to integrate and develop a more accurate un-derstanding of all aspects of the head.

Similar to other popular atlases, this Atlas covers thetraditional topics: cranial bones, vasculature and itsvariations; muscles; nerves; discussion on the oral cav-ity, the nasal cavity, the orbit and eye, the ear. Illustra-tions of selected typical levels of gross anatomicalsections in 3 planes are provided. They can assist in theappreciation of anatomical relationships and be of someuse when viewing computed tomography (CT) andmagnetic resonance images (MRI).

NEUROANATOMY SECTION (211 PAGES)This book, in many ways, resembles a neuroanatomy

textbook, as it contains much descriptive information.Again, this should not be taken as a criticism. In pointof fact, this Atlas could serve the text needs of a typicalneuroanatomy course. The Atlas is organized around aregional framework. The material is presented in a“head-to-toe” format (cerebral cortex to the spinalcord). Each nervous system region is discussed withrespect to its development, external features, internalfeatures, and structures unique to it. Sensory and motorsystem pathway details follow the regional presenta-tion. The diagrams and text in the systems sectionreflect content seen in other neuroanatomy texts; how-ever, there are several weaknesses that would be criticalto the student of dental medicine. The first is an omis-sion of the pathway that carries non-noxious sensorysignals arising from the head/face/intraoral regions tothe sensory cortex. There is no supporting illustrationfor this pathway. (Some of this information is located inthe cranial nerve chapter in the head portion of thebook.) Secondly, these authors refer to the pain andthermal pathways arising from the body and limbs as 2distinct tracts (anterior and lateral spinothalamic tracts),while current thinking considers the 2 pathways as asingle entity under the umbrella term anterolateral sys-tem (ALS). These shortcomings could be remedied

with well-developed lecture materials.

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The inclusion of a brief synopsis of the developmen-tal events of each region of the nervous system isunique to this book. Understanding the principles ofhead and nervous system development provides a foun-dation on which to build appreciation of both normaland abnormal nervous system anatomy. It also assiststhe student in understanding craniofacial problems theymay encounter.

Particularly appealing are the summary tables, re-gional reviews, and clinical scenarios. The summarytables provide a structural framework for compartmen-talizing relevant information. The regional reviews canserve as a self-study for the student. Additionally, theclinical scenarios could be used as topics for smallgroup discussions.

The Atlas provides adequate discussion of the me-ninges, the ventricular system, the nervous systemblood supply, the autonomic nervous system, pain per-ception and its control, and higher cortical functionsincluding lateralization of specific functions.

Finally, the Atlas provides gross brain sectional anat-omy in all 3 planes. These illustrations are well labeled;structures are easily followed from section to section.These sections allow one to appreciate structures inrelationship to their neighbors. They could serve as alaboratory guide during gross brain dissection. Theywill provide the student with useful background forviewing and assessing MRI and CT images of the brain

and head.

I would recommend this Atlas for teachers of theanatomical sciences. I find the illustrations and reviewtables can provide the necessary course content to sup-port either a traditional gross anatomy or a traditional/abbreviated neuroanatomy course. I would recommendthis Atlas as a resource for students in the health careprofessions and postgraduate students wanting a well-organized review of the head and neuroanatomy. ThisAtlas can provide the necessary course content to sup-port a traditional gross anatomy or traditional neuro-anatomy course; however, the detailed text might proveunmanageable for use in a gross anatomy or neuroanat-omy course of limited hours.

THIEME Atlas of Anatomy: Head and NeuroanatomyEdited by Lawrence M. Ross, Edward D. Lamperti,

and Ethan TaubMichael Schünke, Erik Schulte, and Udo Schumacher

Thieme Press; Stuttgart, Germany: 2007. 412 pp.

Reviewed by:Susan Warren, PhD

University of Mississippi Medical CenterDepartment of Anatomy

Jackson, Mississippi

doi:10.1016/j.tripleo.2007.07.026