Pelvic abnormalities in children: assessment with MR imaging.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Oncology

Background:

• Pelvic lesions in children and adolescents require accurate imaging for diagnosis and management.
• Various imaging modalities exist, each with strengths and limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of 0.3-T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in characterizing pediatric pelvic lesions.
• To compare MR imaging performance with ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT).

Main Methods:

• Multiplanar MR imaging (0.3-T) was performed on 62 pelvic lesions in 58 pediatric patients.
• Lesions were categorized as congenital anomalies, cystic lesions/fluid collections, or neoplasms.
• MR imaging planes (sagittal, axial, coronal) and sequences (T1- and T2-weighted) were assessed.
• Comparison with US (45 cases) and CT (13 cases) was conducted.

Main Results:

• MR imaging demonstrated lesions well across all categories.
• Specific planes optimized imaging for midline (sagittal), paired structures (axial), and extent (coronal).
• T1-weighted sequences were adequate for congenital/cystic lesions; T2-weighted sequences aided neoplasm and ectopic gonad visualization.
• MR was superior or equal to US in 97.9% of comparisons and superior or equal to CT in 92.3%.

Conclusions:

• 0.3-T MR imaging is a valuable tool for evaluating pediatric pelvic lesions.
• Multiplanar imaging and tailored sequences improve diagnostic accuracy.
• MR imaging demonstrates comparable or superior performance to US and CT in this patient population.