Publications by authors named "Li-Tal Pratt"

The spectrum of acquired pediatric demyelinating syndromes has been expanding over the past few years, to include myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), as a distinct neuroimmune entity, in addition to pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) and aquaporin 4-IgG-seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (AQP4+NMOSD). The 2023 MOGAD diagnostic criteria require supporting clinical or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features in patients with low positive myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein IgG titers or when the titers are not available, highlighting the diagnostic role of imaging in MOGAD. In this review, we summarize the key diagnostic features in MOGAD, in comparison to POMS and AQP4+NMOSD.

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  • The study focuses on the prevalence of an anaerobic bacteria in children with complicated acute mastoiditis, noting its link to severe intracranial complications.
  • Researchers analyzed CT venography from 76 hospitalized children, distinguishing between those with the bacteria-related infections and those with infections from other pathogens.
  • Findings revealed significantly higher complication rates in children with the anaerobic bacteria, emphasizing the need for specialized treatment protocols tailored to this specific pathogen.
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  • The study aimed to validate the new diagnostic criteria for Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein-antibody associated disease (MOGAD) in children with demyelinating syndromes.
  • MOG antibodies were found in 44% of the tested patients, with a median age of onset at 11.4 years and most patients being female; importantly, all MOGAD cases had positive MOG-Abs and fulfilled the 2023 criteria.
  • The diagnostic criteria showed 100% sensitivity and specificity but did not enhance the accuracy beyond that of the MOG antibody test alone.
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Background: Pott's puffy tumor (PPT) is a rare complication of frontal sinusitis. Although it may occur at any age, the incidence is higher during adolescence.

Methods: We report a series of 10 pediatric patients (9-17 years of age) who presented with PPT in 2 tertiary care pediatric hospitals in central Israel between January 2018 and August 2022 and review the published literature on pediatric PPT.

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Background: The Lémann Index [LI] and the recently updated LI are tools for measuring structural bowel damage in adults with Crohn's disease [CD] but have not been evaluated in children. We aimed to validate the updated LI in the prospective multicentre ImageKids study of paediatric CD.

Methods: We included children with CD undergoing magnetic resonance enterography [MRE], pelvic magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] and ileocolonoscopy.

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Background And Objective: Recurrent attentive non-invasive observation of intestinal inflammation is essential for the proper management of Crohn's disease (CD). The goal of this study was to develop and evaluate a multi-modal machine-learning (ML) model to assess ileal CD endoscopic activity by integrating information from Magnetic Resonance Enterography (MRE) and biochemical biomarkers.

Methods: We obtained MRE, biochemical and ileocolonoscopy data from the multi-center ImageKids study database.

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Background & Aims: Cross-sectional imaging is important in the assessment of transmural inflammation in Crohn's disease (CD). Small bowel involvement is often more extensive in pediatric CD, requiring a panentering measuring tool. We undertook to develop a magnetic resonance enterography (MRE)-based index that would measure inflammation in all segments of the intestine, without rectal contrast.

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  • The ImageKids study aimed to create and validate the PEMPAC index for assessing perianal Crohn's disease in children using MRI scans across 21 global sites.
  • A total of 80 children were involved, with specific criteria for evaluating various aspects of their condition, leading to two statistical models that correlated well with existing assessment tools.
  • The study concluded that the PEMPAC index effectively measures disease severity in children, and the adult Van Assche index can also be applied reliably in this pediatric population.
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Objectives: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has a high impact on nutritional status. Sarcopenia is related to higher risk of surgery and rescue therapy in adults with IBD; however, comparable data in pediatric populations are scarce. We evaluated muscle mass as a predictor of disease outcome in pediatric IBD.

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Objective: To explore incidental findings on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of pediatric patients referred due to endocrine disorders.

Methods: A retrospective, observational study conducted in a tertiary referral center. The neuroimaging database of 17,445 brain MRI studies of 11,011 pediatric patients were searched for cases with endocrine referrals and without medical history of malignancy, genetic syndromes, and/or neurologic comorbidities.

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The number of imaging-based indices developed for inflammatory bowel disease as research tools, objectively measuring ileocolonic and perianal activity and treatment response, has expanded in the past 2 decades. Created primarily to assess Crohn's disease (CD), there is increasing adoption of these indices into the clinical realm to guide patient care. This translation has been facilitated by validation in adult and pediatric populations, prompted by simplification of score calculations needed for practical application outside the research environment.

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Mature teratomas (MTs) of the posterior fossa are extremely rare. The authors present a case of a prenatal diagnosis of an MT splitting the brainstem. Representative images as well as the clinical and surgical course are presented.

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Introduction: Shunt series (SS) are a common diagnostic tool used to verify shunt integrity. SS include X-ray films of the skull, chest, and abdomen and often are performed either when a shunted patient presents with suspected shunt malfunction or as a screening test to identify shunt disconnections or dislodgment. EOS low-dose biplanar X-rays are associated with significantly reduced radiation doses compared with ordinary X-rays and are used for various indications.

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Objectives: Data on the outcomes of children with perianal Crohn disease (pCD) are limited, although its presence is often used for justifying early use of biologics. We aimed to assess whether pCD in children is associated with more severe outcomes as found in adults.

Methods: Data were extracted from the ImageKids database, a prospective, multicenter, longitudinal cohort study.

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Background: Optic pathway gliomas (OPG) represent 5% of pediatric brain tumors and compose a major therapeutic dilemma to the treating physicians. While chemotherapy is widely used for these tumors, our ability to predict radiological response is still lacking. In this study, we use volumetric imaging to examine in detail the long-term effect of chemotherapy on the tumor as well as its various sub-components.

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Purpose: Volumetric measurements of plexiform neurofibromas (PNs) are time consuming and error prone, as they require the delineation of the PN boundaries, which is mostly impractical in the daily clinical setup. Accurate volumetric measurements are seldom performed for these tumors mainly due to their great dispersion, size and multiple locations. This paper presents a semiautomatic method for segmentation of PN from STIR MRI scans.

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Plexiform neurofibromas (PNs) are a major manifestation of neurofibromatosis-1 (NF1), a common genetic disease involving the nervous system. Treatment decisions are mostly based on a gross assessment of changes in tumor using MRI. Accurate volumetric measurements are rarely performed in this kind of tumors mainly due to its great dispersion, size, and multiple locations.

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