[Nuclear magnetic resonance tomography of children's thorax]

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the pediatric chest was performed in 53 patients. All examinations were performed using a 1.0 and 1.5 Tesla superconducting MR imager. 80% of the children were examined using anesthesia with a ventilation of 20% inspiration and 80% expiration. After performing the MR examination in 55% of the cases an operation was performed. In 29 patients anomalies of the brachiocephalic trunc were found. In four patients MR detected a doubled aortic arch, in four patients we found a dilated arch. In eight children a dilated pulmonary artery was diagnosed. In combination with eight tracheobronchoscopy, MR imaging proved to be the diagnostic method of choice for the evaluation of anomalies of the mediastinum. New developments like fast imaging techniques and 3D acquisition promise a further diagnostic improvement in the mediastinum.