Radiation-free pediatric radiology
For the pediatrician, imaging is a valuable tool in the investigation of many diseases and pathological conditions in children.
For this reason, examinations in the Pediatric Radiology Department are among the most frequent.
But what about radiation?
Three imaging examinations have been added in recent years to the study of common childhood diseases. Their peculiarity is that, while ensuring extremely high rates of diagnostic value, they completely avoid the use of radiation.
- Ultrasound cystourethrography. This excellent form of cystourethrography highlights with great sensitivity vesicoureteral reflux in infants and young children with febrile urinary tract infections. Our department has extensive experience, having performed this examination since 2009.
- Ultrasound of the chest/lungs. Respiratory infections are particularly common in childhood. Ultrasonography of the chest/lungs has now become established in daily practice in order to highlight, identify and monitor inflammatory lesions in the lung parenchyma as well as their complications. In this way, a large number of X-rays are avoided, without reducing the quality of clinical information in the slightest.
- Liver elastography and assessment of hepatic steatosis. Childhood obesity and thyroid diseases in childhood are often expressed in the liver in the form of fatty infiltration/hepatic steatosis. At the same time, other clinical entities require the assessment of the liver parenchyma in order to decide on the monitoring and treatment protocol. Ultrasound assessment of hepatic steatosis and liver elastography have been applied in recent years and attract the interest of both pediatric gastroenterologists and pediatric radiologists, providing a valuable alternative to more complex methods and invasive biopsy.
Pediatric Radiology has new weapons for rapid and accurate diagnosis while avoiding radiation!
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