This book has spawned from the recent outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) that devastated Hong Kong for a 4-month period during the early half of 2003. The objective of this book is to provide the reader with a quick reference guide to the different facets of this newly emerged disease. All the authors and editors of this book have ‘seen SARS in the face’ and were frontline personnel in the management of this outbreak. This book charts the experiences of clinicians, radiologists and radiographers of this new disease entity not only in Hong Kong but also in Canada.

Although this book deals primarily with the radiological management of SARS providing the reader with a gamut of radiographical and high-resolution computed tomography imaging features in both adults and children, it also briefly reviews the epidemiology, clinical management and screening for SARS at the accident and emergency department. The book also discusses in detail, the infection control measures that may be required within a radiology department in order to prevent the transmission of the disease to staff and patients.

SARS highlighted the role of radiology in frontline medicine and emphasized the importance of maintaining our expertise with plain radiography. The department of radiology was at the forefront of the ‘battle’ against SARS and radiographers played a leading role.