Radiological diagnostics of pediatric lungs

Abstract

Pediatric lung diseases are a common clinical problem. Besides the clinical examination and laboratory tests, imaging studies are the mainstay in the diagnostics of pediatric lung diseases. Thorough consideration of radiation protection based on optimized equipment also includes the protection of relatives and medical staff. The high impact of radiation protection in children necessitates a different choice of imaging modalities compared to adults. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as adjunct or complementary imaging methods are of greater value than computed tomography (CT). The suspicion of pneumonia is the most common reason for chest imaging examinations in children. An anteroposterior or posteroanterior view chest X-ray is sufficient in most cases and sometimes in combination with ultrasound. The latter can also be used alone for follow-up examinations if the clinical presentation does not change. Additionally, ultrasound is applied to examine unclear structures seen on chest X-rays, such as the thymus or pulmonary sequestration in adjunct with color-coded duplex sonography. A chest X-ray is also the method of choice to examine the various forms of respiratory distress syndrome, such as wet lung disease or surfactant deficiency syndrome in newborns. Fluoroscopy is used in older children with suspected ingestion and/or aspiration of foreign bodies and CT is mostly used for staging and follow-up of thoracic and pulmonary structures in pediatric oncology. Recent technical advances, e.g. iterative reconstruction, have dramatically reduced the CT dosage. Apart from some indications (e.g. tumors and sequestration) MRI is rarely used in children; however, its potential for functional analyses (e.g. perfusion and ventilation) may increase the application in the near future.