Pediatric Chest Disorders: Practical Imaging Approach to Diagnosis

Symptomatology referable to the chest is one of the most common reasons for which pediatric patients present for clinical evaluation. Imaging plays a critical role in elucidation of differential considerations, provides valuable information in the evaluation of disease extent and associated abnormalities, impacts patient management decisions, and provides a detailed assessment of treatment response. Given the broad range of pathologies which affect the pediatric chest, anatomic localization is a useful classification approach and can be thought of in a three-compartment model, including primary processes of the lung parenchyma, abnormalities of the large airway, and pathology originating in the mediastinum. This practical approach can be applied to some of the most commonly encountered pediatric chest pathologies. This chapter also reviews the advantages and disadvantages of current imaging modalities and characteristic imaging findings of pediatric thoracic disorders encountered in daily clinical practice.