Pediatric Thoracic MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a dominant imaging modality in the diagnosis and management of many pediatric diseases, largely motivated by a desire to avoid the harmful effects of ionizing radiation in children. Despite this general trend, technical factors have led MRI to be utilized less often for evaluation of diseases of the pediatric thorax compared with other organ systems. Technical advances in recent years have made MRI of the chest a feasible option, and MRI has become a first-line imaging modality for select disorders of pediatric thorax, including many cardiovascular and mediastinal lesions. With ongoing technical advances, MRI continues to have an increasing role in evaluation of diseases of the pediatric lung and airway. This chapter presents imaging techniques for MRI of the pediatric thorax followed by a description and illustration of MR imaging findings in a spectrum of disorders.