Cystic biliary atresia: A distinct clinical entity that may mimic choledochal cyst.

Cystic biliary atresia (CBA) is a relatively uncommon but clinically significant variant of biliary atresia. The presence of a cyst in the hepatic hilum on imaging in an infant with cholestasis supports the diagnosis of CBA, but can also be seen in patients with a choledochal cyst-the main differential diagnosis in patients with CBA. The reported case outlines the clinical presentation and imaging findings in a patient with surgically confirmed and treated CBA and emphasizes the importance of distinguishing CBA from choledochal cyst at diagnostic imaging given the disparate timing and type of surgical treatment necessary for successful management of these distinct entities.

Current utilization and procedural practices in pediatric whole-body MRI.

Background: Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an evolving and increasingly powerful imaging tool with a variety of applications in the pediatric patient population. Variability exists among radiology practices in how this MRI tool is used and how it is performed.

Objective: Our objective was to gain an improved understanding of technical and utilization practices in pediatric whole-body MRI across North America by exploring indications for exam performance, determining referral patterns, and assessing technical protocols and procedures.

Radiation risk index for pediatric CT: a patient-derived metric.

Background: There is a benefit in characterizing radiation-induced cancer risk in pediatric chest and abdominopelvic CT: a singular metric that represents the whole-body radiation burden while also accounting for age, gender and organ sensitivity.

Objective: To compute an index of radiation risk for pediatric chest and abdominopelvic CT.

Materials And Methods: Using a protocol approved by our institutional review board, 42 pediatric patients (age: 0-16 years, weight: 2-80 kg) were modeled into virtual whole-body anatomical models.

Children, medical radiation and the environment: An important dialogue.

There are unique considerations in the medical care of children, which includes the use of medical imaging. Medical imaging is frequently necessary and is essential in diagnosis and management of children with illness and injury. Much of medical imaging requires ionizing radiation.

Meeting the Needs for Radiation Protection: Diagnostic Imaging.

Radiation and potential risk during medical imaging is one of the foremost issues for the imaging community. Because of this, there are growing demands for accountability, including appropriate use of ionizing radiation in diagnostic and image-guided procedures. Factors contributing to this include increasing use of medical imaging; increased scrutiny (from awareness to alarm) by patients/caregivers and the public over radiation risk; and mounting calls for accountability from regulatory, accrediting, healthcare coverage (e.

Deciding why and when to use CT in children: a radiologist's perspective.

Defining what is appropriate or inappropriate with respect to CT scanning is challenging. There are a variety of influences on scan utilization in children, some more widely recognized and acknowledged than others. It is important to understand the contribution of these elements as we move toward improved utilization.

Pediatric dose reduction in computed tomography.

An appropriate balance between risk (radiation dose) and benefit (based on image quality) for computed tomography (CT) in children is essential. This balance comes through an understanding of CT dose, why we do pediatric CT, and how we do pediatric CT. The following material, then, will approach radiation dose in the context of a larger safety program, and address the challenges with determining radiation dose in contemporary CT technology.

Pediatric body MDCT: a 5-year follow-up survey of scanning parameters used by pediatric radiologists.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate how pediatric body MDCT scanning parameters (i.e., the principal determinants of radiation dose) have changed since a prior survey conducted in 2001.

Pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and the role of imaging.

The use of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in the treatment of children afflicted with many potentially fatal malignant and nonmalignant diseases is well recognized. Although outcomes continue to improve and the utility of HSCT is increasing, HSCT remains a complicated process necessitating support from many medical disciplines, including radiology. Importantly, children who undergo HSCT are at risk for the development of specific complications that are linked to the timeline of transplantation, as well as to the relationship between the underlying diagnoses, severe immune deficiency, cytoreductive regimen, and graft-versus-host reactions.

Repair of congenital heart disease: a primer--Part 2.

This review, the second of two parts, describes the repair of aortic arch anomalies, left-to-right shunts, valvular disease, tetralogy of Fallot, and truncus arteriosus. Cardiac transplantation is also discussed. Advances in the surgical management of congenital heart disease have led to improved patient survival and quality of life.

Repair of congenital heart disease: a primer-part 1.

Advances in the surgical management of congenital heart disease have led to enhanced patient survival and quality of life. Improvements in technology in computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have resulted in increasing use of cross-sectional imaging in these patients. Perioperative care in these patients requires that radiologists have an understanding of the surgical treatment and the resultant postoperative anatomy.

Enhancing pediatric safety: using simulation to assess radiology resident preparedness for anaphylaxis from intravenous contrast media.

Purpose: To prospectively develop and test a simulation model for assessing radiology resident preparedness for pediatric life-threatening events in the radiology environment.

Materials And Methods: This study was institutional review board approved. Nineteen radiology residents (10 men, nine women; mean age, 28.

Pediatric cardiac-gated CT angiography: assessment of radiation dose.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to determine a dose range for cardiac-gated CT angiography (CTA) in children.

Materials And Methods: ECG-gated cardiac CTA simulating scanning of the heart was performed on an anthropomorphic phantom of a 5-year-old child on a 16-MDCT scanner using variable parameters (small field of view; 16 x 0.625 mm configuration; 0.

Conventional and CT angiography in children: dosimetry and dose comparisons.

Tremendous advances have been made in imaging in children with both congenital and acquired heart disease. These include technical advances in cardiac catheterization and conventional angiography, especially with advancements in interventional procedures, as well as noninvasive imaging with MR and CT angiography. With rapid advances in multidetector CT (MDCT) technology, most recently 64-detector array systems (64-slice MDCT), have come a number of advantages over MR.

Computed tomography: important considerations for pediatric patients.

Computed tomography plays a central and increasingly important role in medical imaging. From the very beginning more than 30 years ago, computed tomography technology has continued to develop and provide a wide variety of applications for evaluation of disorders of virtually any organ system in both children and adults. The benefits are particularly evident with the newer, fast, high-resolution multidetector scanners.

Thoracic disorders in the immunocompromised child.

Immunodeficiencies in children may be caused by primary immunodeficiency syndromes or can result from secondary disorders of immune regulation. Thoracic complications in immunocompromised children are frequent and may vary according to the type of the immunodeficiency. Imaging plays a pivotal role in detection and distinction of the variety of sequelae.

Technique of pediatric thoracic CT angiography.

CT angiography is now an accepted application of contemporary multidetector row CT. Faster scanning, thinner slices, and improvement in intravenous contrast enhancement are benefits that have offered unique opportunities for pediatric thoracic angiographic evaluation, and often obviate routine angiography. Pediatric CT angiography can be challenging but adherence to a relatively straightforward step-by-step method, emphasizing patient preparation and technical familiarity, can result in excellent examinations even in the smallest infants and most complex clinical scenarios.