Keep the PDF open on your laptop. When you get a page for “acute vertigo” or “altered mental status,” open the relevant chapter. Scan the “Emergency Causes” table first. Then read the “Key Distinguishing Features” subsection.
Overview: This is a classic, compact, and highly respected textbook aimed primarily at medical students, residents in neurology, and general physicians. Unlike encyclopedic neurology texts that list every possible cause of a symptom, Patten's book is practical and problem-oriented. It starts with a presenting complaint (e.g., headache, weakness, dizziness, blackouts) and walks the reader through the logical process of narrowing down the possibilities. neurological differential diagnosis john patten pdf
Strengths:
Weaknesses (for a modern reader):
Verdict: For learning the art of neurological bedside diagnosis, this book is still a 5-star classic. For up-to-date information on rare diseases or modern investigations, it is a 3-star supplement to a current text like Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice or Adams & Victor's Principles of Neurology. Keep the PDF open on your laptop
Despite being originally published decades ago (with the last major edition in the late 20th century), searches for "neurological differential diagnosis john patten pdf" remain consistently high. Why? Weaknesses (for a modern reader):
Patten famously warns: "A lesion in one place can mimic a lesion elsewhere." For example, a subdural hematoma can cause contralateral leg weakness (mimicking a medial frontal lesion) or ipsilateral pupillary dilation (mimicking a brainstem lesion). His book teaches you to recognize these traps.