Author: Khalil Samhan, MD

Publisher:  AuthorHouse – 397 pages

Book Review by:  Nano Khilnani

The author of this book – Khalil Ahmad Samhan – has two other published works, both in Spanish, to his credit :  Diccionario Medico de Terminos Urogenitales and Medicina Sexual Masculina.

This book is meant primarily for medical students in general, those aspiring to be urologists and practicing urologists. Its approach in teaching this medical specialty is presenting numerous radiagnostic images of the genitor-urinary tract, including those that show anomalies and diseased areas, with a view to correct diagnosis and treatment.

This a very practical book because in it are collected images of the anomalies, diseases, and medical problems of patients that Dr. Samhan has treated over the course of his 35 years of professional life in urology.

The images are presented in chapters that pertain to many areas of urology, including but not limited to: adrenal tumors, hydro-nephrosis, anomalies, injuries and tumors in the urinary tract; nephropathies; problems in the prostate gland, seminal vesicles and the urethra.

The are chapters that present problems and images in the urinary bladder, including the presence of “stones” (calcified formations); renal cysts, renal and upper urinary tract tumors; retroperitoneal pathology; scrotal diseases; urinary fistulates, and vesico-ureteral reflux.

The chapters are organized with an introduction, etiology, clinical manifestations and different imaging studies. But it is the images that take center stage in the learning process. As Dr. Samhan writes, “one images is better than a thousand words.”

Dr. Samhan presents the following types of images in this book: abdominal plain film,

Angiography, cystography, intravenous urography, magnetic resonance imaging of the kidney, renal arteriography, renogram, retrograde pyelography, retrograde urethrography, ultrasonography, vasovesiculograhy,

These types of images have revealed ailments, conditions and diseases such as abscesses, calcifications, cancers, cystic diseases, tumors (including Wilms tumors) and other problems in patients.

All in all, this is an excellent book in the field of urology and its unique approach to learning and teaching the subject through the presentation of images taken from real-life practice is its most important feature. Our hats off to the author Dr. Samhan.