Imaging for Pediatric Head and Neck Emergencies: Critical Insights

Nontraumatic head and neck emergencies in children are common and often infectious, with overlapping and nonspecific clinical presentations that can delay accurate diagnosis. Imaging plays a critical role in distinguishing self-limited conditions from conditions requiring urgent intervention. This review provides an anatomically organized overview of pediatric orbital, sinonasal, oral cavity, deep neck, temporal bone, and skull base emergencies and foreign-body events. We highlighted the role of radiologists in emergent clinical decision-making, from appropriate modality selection (radiography, contrast-enhanced CT, MRI, and angiographic techniques) to the identification of key imaging findings that alter the management and recognition of common diagnostic pitfalls.