LAUSR

In a series entitled Progress in Brain Research by serial editor Vincent Walsh, the latest issue of the series is led by Dr. Jeremy Ganz. The new work by Dr. Ganz is entitled Recent Advances and Controversies in Gamma Knife Neurosurgery, and it provides a valuable update on contemporary practice of neurosurgery with the Gamma Knife (Elekta AB, Stockholm, Sweden) [1]. The author, Professor Jeremy C. Ganz, is based out of the Department of Neurosurgery in Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway. In the field of Gamma Knife neurosurgery, Dr. Ganz’s knowledge and expertise are legendary. In the preface, he notes that the topic of Gamma Knife radiosurgery has represented a large portion of his professional and academic focus. He actively shaped the radiosurgical field and chronicled its evolution from single session treatment of benign intracranial pathology and functional disorders to hypofractionation and exponential growth treating brain metastases and other malignant pathologies. The work is divided into 23 chapters, and remarkably each chapter is authoritatively and expertly written by Dr. Ganz. Initial chapters focus on a historical context to Gamma Knife neurosurgery followed by practical chapters on dosimetry, radiobiology, advances in the radiosurgical device and associated technology (e.g., stereotactic frame, planning software), and radiosurgical imaging. The next 3 chapters of the book cover vascular indications including intracranial arteriovenous malformations, dural arteriovenous fistulae, and cavernous malformations. The book then flows naturally to benign tumor indications (e.g., vestibular schwannomas, meningiomas, pituitary adenomas, and craniopharyngiomas). Brain metastases and gliomas (both high and low grade ones) are covered next followed by less common tumor types such as ependymomas, neurocytomas, pineal tumors, and orbital tumors. Functional indications including epilepsy, trigeminal neuralgia, movement disorders, and behavioral disorders are the final focus of the book. The conclusion chapter encompasses some of the unanswered questions and remaining controversies in radiosurgery. In this regard, the conclusion chapter likely points to future areas for clinical investigation and research in Gamma Knife radiosurgery. Each chapter includes an abstract and numerical denoted sections for easy accessibility by the reader. The chapters are also well illustrated with a combination of gray scale and color images as well as detailed tables. In the electronic version of the book, the images are generally downloadable in high resolution format. References throughout the chapter are hyperlinked to the respective citation, and the citations often include a viewable PDF of the actual reference thereby making chapters extremely useful for those new to the field as well as experts. The references for each chapter are typically landmark ones for the topic at hand. The text is written in clear and concise prose. The book can be read from cover to cover as a comprehensive update on contemporary practice in Gamma Knife neurosurgery, or it can serve as a useful reference for specific topics or information sought by the refined reader. In the acknowledgements, Professor Ganz expresses his gratitude to many including Lars Leksell, Erik Backlund, George Noren, Roberto Martinez Alvarez, Ian Paddick, Wael Reda, Kahlid Abdelkarim, Amr El-Shehaby, and Dan Leksell. It is clear that Professor Ganz’s professional life including his academic accomplishments and publications have been shaped by an incredible life journey intersecting with pioneers in the field and having a direct involvement or serving as a careful witness to critical events along the evolution of stereotactic * Jason Sheehan [email protected]