Clinical Application of MRI in Children for the Assessment of Pulmonary Diseases

Abstract

The standard examination technique for the chest in children is an X-ray examination - it is fast, cheap and provides a good overview of anatomy and pathology. In cases with an unclear pathology or if more details are needed (i. e. pre-therapeutically), computed tomography is most often performed with the well known drawbacks of limited soft tissue contrast and radiation. Radiation should be avoided in children, especially if follow-up examinations are needed. Recent magnetic resonance (MR) techniques allow for fast and reliable assessment of pulmonary diseases in children. Due to the inherent soft tissue contrast, diagnosis can be frequently performed without contrast media application. This review provides an exemplary MR examination protocol for routine application in pediatric patients. The diagnostic value of MRI is shown in patients with infectious diseases, patients with immunodeficiency, anatomic abnormalities, acquired chronic diseases, and pulmonary tumors. Since MRI is especially suitable for functional imaging, an MR protocol is provided for the examination of thoracic deformities. This review summarizes the use of thoracic MRI in the clinical pediatric setting with special focus on the clinical indications as a radiation-free method.