1 research outputs found
Magnetic resonance imaging in children: common problems and possible solutions for lung and airways imaging
Pediatric chest MRI is challenging. High-resolution
scans of the lungs and airways are compromised by long imaging
times, low lung proton density and motion. Low signal
is a problem of normal lung. Lung abnormalities commonly
cause increased signal intenstities. Among the most important
factors for a successful MRI is patient cooperation, so the long
acquisition times make patient preparation crucial. Children
usually have problems with long breath-holds and with the
concept of quiet breathing. Young children are even more
challenging because of higher cardiac and respiratory rates
giving motion blurring. For these reasons, CT has often been
preferred over MRI for chest pediatric imaging. Despite its
drawbacks, MRI also has advantages over CT, which justifies
its further development and clinical use. The most important
advantage is the absence of ionizing radiation, which allows
frequent scanning for short- and long-term follow-up studie