Search

In newborns, white matter shows a high T2-weighted (T2w) signal in MRI with poor grey–white matter contrast. To increase this contrast, an extremely long echo time (TE) is used in the examination of children. It is not known up to what age this long TE should be used. The purpose of this study was to find up to what age a long TE should be used in infants. In the prospective study, 101 infants (0–18 months) underwent cranial MRI at 3 Tesla. T2-weighted Fast Spin Echo sequences with long TE (200 ms) and medium TE (100 ms) were used. The signal intensities of the cortex and white matter were measured and the grey–white matter contrast (MC) was calculated. A cut-off age was determined. The T2w sequences with long TE had a statistically significantly higher MC until the age of six months (medium TE: 0.1 ± 0.05, Long TE: 0.19 ± 0.07; p < 0.001). After the tenth month, the T2w sequence with medium TE provided significantly better MC (Medium TE: 0.1 ± 0.05; long TE: 0.05 ± 0.4; p < 0.001). The use of a long TE is only helpful in the first six months of life. After the tenth month of life, a medium TE should be favored as is used in adult brain MRI.

The most common acute infection and leading cause of death in children worldwide is pneumonia. Clinical and laboratory tests essentially diagnose community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). CAP can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or atypical microorganisms. Imaging is usually reserved for children who do not respond to treatment, need hospitalisation, or have hospital-acquired pneumonia. This review discusses the imaging findings for acute CAP complications and the diagnostic role of each imaging modality. Pleural effusion, empyema, necrotizing pneumonia, abscess, pneumatocele, pleural fistulas, and paediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) are acute CAP complications. When evaluating complicated CAP patients, chest radiography, lung ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used, with each having their own pros and cons. Imaging is usually not needed for CAP diagnosis, but it is essential for complicated cases and follow-ups. Lung ultrasound can supplement chest radiography (CR), which starts the diagnostic algorithm. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) is used for complex cases. Advances in MRI protocols make it a viable alternative for diagnosing CAP and its complications.