Real-Time MRI of the Chest Wall, Diaphragm, and Lungs in Children

To evaluate the clinical applicability and diagnostic potential of real-time magnetic resonance imaging (rtMRI) as a sedation-free, radiation-free imaging modality for assessing the chest wall, diaphragm, and lungs in children.

This video-based narrative review summarizes over four years of clinical experience with rtMRI in pediatric thoracic imaging. Real-time MRI achieves very high frame rates (up to 50 images per second), effectively minimizing motion artifacts. Representative clinical scenarios-including pneumonia, chest wall tumors, diaphragmatic dysfunction, airway anomalies, and congenital lung malformations-are presented to illustrate the diagnostic capabilities and limitations of rtMRI.

Real-time MRI enables reliable imaging of thoracic structures in awake and uncooperative children, minimizing motion artifacts and thus eliminating the need for sedation. It provides diagnostic information on conditions such as pneumonia, abscesses, effusions, and neoplastic lesions, using two basic MR contrasts. Diaphragmatic motion and large airway morphology are clearly visualized. Limitations include reduced sensitivity for detecting interstitial lung disease and small pulmonary metastases. Complete thoracic examinations can be performed within 4 minutes, supporting rapid triage and potentially obviating the need for CT or sedated MRI in selected cases.

Real-time MRI is a promising, child-friendly alternative for thoracic imaging in pediatrics, particularly for evaluating chest wall abnormalities, diaphragmatic disorders, and pneumonia-related complications. Broader adoption and vendor-independent implementation may help establish rtMRI as a routine modality in pediatric chest imaging.