Ammar Haouimi - Abdominal-Pelvic Imaging

Reading the latest book of Dr Ammar Haouimi arouses in me two feelings, an immeasurable pride and frustration. Pride, because my friend Ammar is a regular in the exploits he has obviously taken taste. He has published several landmark works, generously compiling the fruits of his great and long experience as a radiologist consultant (France) and the head of radiology department in different hospitals (Madinah, KSA). The latest book he has just made available to the medical community shows if it was necessary that he has lost none of his wit and that a liberal activity can be as prolific when it is driven by the concern to satisfy his patient while continuing to progress by enriching himself intellectually. This book is an offering for all imagers and clinicians. He reviews, in a didactic style, the most frequent situations with the rarest diseases. The exceptional quality of the iconography even suggests that if imaging is an art, it is nonetheless accessible to clinicians.

I also feel frustrated reading this book because I realize, again, that many skills are underestimated or even ignored at home. Dr Haouimi has the calibre of a great pedagogue and the expertise of an excellent imager to whom everyone would like to confide. The absence of bridges between the different modes of practice of medicine unfortunately deprives the learner of graduation or post-graduation of this knowledge. My frustration borders anger when we know that it publishes in English and that its place should be in the amphitheatre and conference rooms.

Dr Ammar Haouimi has always been available, affable, of great morality, endowed with a keen sense of analysis and synthesis naturally coupled with a great ability of listening and patience. This has not been without giving him a perfect or even eclectic knowledge of his professional environment and a great capacity for expertise.

My friend, Dr Ammar Haouimi, is a school, a real school, because he knows how to take and adsorb the best of each to give it to all. I had the pleasure and the chance to read his many books and the happiness of being part of his friends.

Professor Abdelkrim Berrah

Head and Chairman Department of Internal Medicine Bab El Oued University Hospital

Algiers ALGERIA