Practical pediatric abdominal CT

This course is designed to help the radiologist in a hospital setting successfully approach abdominal CT in the infant and child. Emphasis is placed on techniques necessary for a high-quality examination of the upper abdomen, as applied to common pediatric problems such as trauma, tumor, and infection. Material is presented on technical considerations, including patient sedation, preparation, and potential pitfalls and helpful hints for imaging. An emphasis is placed on dynamic scanning with table incrementation. The section on trauma focuses on an approach to imaging the abdomen in the injured child, typical injuries, patterns of injury in the upper abdomen, and why CT is the best imaging modality for blunt upper abdominal trauma. The discussion of tumor imaging reviews the appearance of typical childhood neoplasia including Wilms tumor, neuroblastoma, non-Hodgkin and Burkitt lymphoma, and disseminated solid tumors such as rhabdomyosarcoma. The authors emphasize what to look for and where, both on initial and on later (for recurrences) examinations. The discussion of infection addresses detection of abscesses and occult infections in children, as well as imaging of abscesses prior to intervention