A pioneer in radiology and one of the most skilled arteriographers of his time
David Sutton was at the helm of the dramatic advances that took place in clinical radiology in the second half of the 20th century. His technical brilliance was combined with an analytical mind and a lucid literary style—both of which he ascribed to the rigours of a classical education—and kept him at the forefront of radiological writing and publishing up to a few days before he died.
He was born David Suchanitsky in Manchester to an impoverished Jewish immigrant family, who had fled persecution in Russia at the turn of the century. While he was a student at Manchester University, having won a scholarship there, the family name was changed to Sutton by deed poll.
After qualifying, he served with the Royal Army Medical Corps in Burma for three and a half years, during which time his enthusiasm for radiology was born. After demobilisation he trained in London, at the Hospital for Nervous Diseases, Queen Square, intending to become a neuroradiologist. Dr James Bull had recently introduced the technique of percutaneous carotid angiography there, and David Sutton became the second person in the United Kingdom to practise this technique. While at Queen Square he wrote an MD thesis on the radiology of the aqueduct and fourth ventricle. He then moved to the Middlesex Hospital, where he developed the techniques of peripheral angiography and of placental angiography.
In 1953 he became a consultant radiologist at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, at a time when major strides in vascular surgery were being made there. David Sutton grasped with enthusiasm the opportunity to become the most skilled arteriographer of his time, and in 1961 he published a monograph of his experience with 10 000 arteriograms. This period marked a golden era at St Mary's Hospital in the surgical management of vascular disease and in the medical elucidation of the causes of renovascular hypertension. David Sutton's contribution to both these fields was pivotal. 
He was editor of the Journal of the Faculty of Radiology from 1959 to 1964 and was instrumental in changing its name to Clinical Radiology. He increased its circulation fourfold, by attracting original contributions of high quality. This experience acquainted him with the burning issues in his specialty as well as with the best authors, and he assembled a dynamic team of contributors to The Textbook of Radiology, which he originally co-edited but later edited alone. New editions appeared regularly as the book rapidly became a bible for all aspiring radiologists worldwide. David Sutton actively supervised the seventh edition, which was delivered to him just a few days before he died.
Sometimes David Sutton saw winning an argument as establishing a self evident truth, which was apt to cause antipathy even among those who knew him well and admired his achievements. It was not easy to change his mind even if he risked denting a friendship, for he was punctilious in all he did, and sometimes intolerant of sound alternative viewpoints.
His suppression of outward emotion concealed the warmth of his inner feelings, which were especially reserved for his family. He was temperamentally suited to enjoy the combative nature of squash, and he used to play regularly to a competent standard, and to the exhaustion of successive registrars.
In his later years he developed Parkinson's disease, the onset of which he had predicted, from knowledge of his family history. He leaves a wife, Janet, and two children.
David Sutton, former director of radiology St Mary's Hospital, Paddington (b 1917; q Manchester 1942; MD, FRCP, FRCR, FCAR), died from a heart attack on 18 December 2002.