Radiologic clinics of North America
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Radiol. Clin. North Am. · Sep 2011
ReviewChest sonography in children: current indications, techniques, and imaging findings.
Ultrasound of the thorax is particularly rewarding in children, because their unique thoracic anatomy provides many available acoustic windows into the chest. Newer ultrasound techniques can allow better understanding of lung disease. With minimum effort and creativity, chest ultrasound can provide important clinical information without radiation exposure or sedation sometimes required for computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.
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Radiol. Clin. North Am. · Sep 2011
ReviewRadiation, thoracic imaging, and children: radiation safety.
The chest is the most frequently evaluated region of the body in children. The majority of thoracic diagnostic imaging, namely "conventional" radiography (film screen, computed radiography and direct/digital radiography), fluoroscopy and angiography, and computed tomography, depends on ionizing radiation. ⋯ Technical (e.g. equipment and technique) strategies can reduce exposure risk and improve study quality, but these must be matched with efforts to optimize appropriate utilization for safe and effective healthcare in thoracic imaging in children. To these ends, material in this chapter will review practice patterns, dose measures and modality doses, radiation biology and risks, and radiation risk reduction strategies for thoracic imaging in children.
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In the appropriate clinical setting of pituitary hyperfunction or hypofunction, visual field deficit, or cranial nerve palsy, imaging of the pituitary is necessary. This article reviews the normal appearance of the pituitary and its surroundings, emphasizing magnetic resonance imaging. ⋯ Typical examples of pituitary dysfunction from other entities that secondarily affect the gland, hypophysis, or third ventricle are discussed. Some common errors of interpretation are listed.
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Radiol. Clin. North Am. · Mar 2011
ReviewImaging of incidental findings on thoracic computed tomography.
With continued improvement of high-resolution multidetector computed tomography imaging, there is an increasing number of unsuspected thoracic findings. Although many of these findings are of little clinical significance, other findings such as small incidental lung nodules require additional imaging to exclude more worrisome causes, often resulting in greater exposure to ionizing radiation, increased cost, and patient anxiety. Although greater uniformity among radiologists regarding likely benign findings may help reduce unnecessary imaging studies, the lack of clear follow-up guidelines for many findings suggests that further investigation is needed in some areas.
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Radiol. Clin. North Am. · Jan 2011
ReviewPosterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome and venous thrombosis.
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) and venous thrombosis are frequently encountered first in the emergency setting and share some common characteristics. The clinical presentation in both entities is vague, and the brain parenchymal findings of PRES syndrome may resemble those of venous thrombosis in some ways. Both entities often occur in a bilateral posterior distribution and may be associated with reversible parenchymal findings if the inciting factor is treated. These diagnoses should be at the forefront of the differential diagnosis when confronted with otherwise unexplained brain edema, among other findings described in this article.