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Bernal SG, Chan SS, Cho YY, Daldrup-Link HE, Gee MS, Kemp JM, Kraus MS, Meyers AB, von Krüchten VR, Greer MLC. Whole-Body MRI in Children: Concepts and Controversies- AJR Expert Panel Narrative Review. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2025. [PMID: 39772586 DOI: 10.2214/ajr.24.32178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2025]
Abstract
The use of whole-body MRI (WBMRI) in children, from infancy to adolescence, has expanded rapidly over the past decade, with increasing uptake and a broadening range of clinical indications. Current indications include screening for presymptomatic lesions in cancer predisposition syndromes; tumor staging in known malignancies; investigating fevers of unknown origin; as well as diagnosing and monitoring rheumatologic diseases, vascular anomalies and neuromuscular disorders. This AJR Expert Panel Narrative Review aims to offer a comprehensive discussion of WBMRI in pediatric patients, exploring protocols and other technical considerations, clinical indications, implementation challenges and troubleshooting, as well as controversies in widespread adoption, while considering emerging trends and directions. Commonalities and variations in WBMRI protocols across indications and institutions are presented, highlighting the need for greater standardization. Barriers to WBMRI access, particularly in resource-limited settings, are considered, along with potential solutions. The available evidence regarding potential patient benefit from WBMRI across various applications is summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Gallo Bernal
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Sherwin S Chan
- Department of Radiology, Children's Mercy Hospital, 2401 Gillham Rd, Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA
| | - Yoon Y Cho
- Department of Radiology, Children's Mercy Hospital, 2401 Gillham Rd, Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA
| | - Heike E Daldrup-Link
- Department of Radiology, Division of Pediatric Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine / Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University, 725 Welch Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Michael S Gee
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Justine M Kemp
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine / Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
| | - Mareen S Kraus
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Dalhousie University/Department of Pediatric Radiology, IWK Health, 5980 University Ave, Halifax, NS B3K 6R8, Canada
| | - Arthur B Meyers
- Department of Radiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine / Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
| | - Vanessa Ricarda von Krüchten
- Department of Radiology, Division of Pediatric Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine / Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University, 725 Welch Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Mary-Louise C Greer
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
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Guja KE, Behr G, Bedmutha A, Kuhn M, Nadel HR, Pandit-Taskar N. Molecular Imaging with PET-CT and PET-MRI in Pediatric Musculoskeletal Diseases. Semin Nucl Med 2024; 54:438-455. [PMID: 38688770 DOI: 10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2024.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Molecular imaging has emerged as an integral part of oncologic imaging. Given the physiologic changes that precede anatomic changes, molecular imaging can enable early detection of disease and monitoring of response. [18F] Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) Positron emission tomography (PET) is the predominant molecular imaging modality used in oncologic assessment and can be performed using PET/CT or PET/MR. In pediatric patients, PET/MRI imaging is generally preferred due to low radiation exposure and PET/MRI is particularly advantageous for imaging musculoskeletal (MSK) diseases, as MRI provides superior characterization of tissue changes as compared to CT. In this article, we provide an overview of the typical role of PET CT/MRI in assessment of some common pediatric malignancies and benign MSK diseases with case examples. We also discuss the relative advantages of PET/MRI compared to PET/CT, and review published data with a primary focus on the use of PET/MR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kip E Guja
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Gerald Behr
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York; Weil Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Akshay Bedmutha
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Marlena Kuhn
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Helen R Nadel
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Neeta Pandit-Taskar
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York; Weil Cornell Medical College, New York, New York.
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Thacker PG, Iyer RS, Pace E, States LJ, Guillerman RP. Imaging of pediatric pulmonary tumors: A COG Diagnostic Imaging Committee/SPR Oncology Committee White Paper. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2023; 70 Suppl 4:e29964. [PMID: 36121877 PMCID: PMC10641895 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.29964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Pediatric pulmonary malignancy can be primary or metastatic, with the latter being by far the more common. With a few exceptions, there are no well-established evidence-based guidelines for imaging pediatric pulmonary malignancies, although computed tomography (CT) is used in almost all cases. The aim of this article is to provide general imaging guidelines for pediatric pulmonary malignancies, including minimum standards for cross-sectional imaging techniques and specific imaging recommendations for select entities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ramesh S. Iyer
- Department of Radiology, Seattle Children’s Hospital, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Erika Pace
- Department of Radiology, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa J. States
- Department of Radiology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Rashidi A, Baratto L, Jayapal P, Theruvath AJ, Greene EB, Lu R, Spunt SL, Daldrup-Link HE. Detection of bone marrow metastases in children and young adults with solid cancers with diffusion-weighted MRI. Skeletal Radiol 2023; 52:1179-1192. [PMID: 36441237 PMCID: PMC10757820 DOI: 10.1007/s00256-022-04240-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare the diagnostic accuracy of diffusion-weighted (DW)-MRI with b-values of 50 s/mm2 and 800 s/mm2 for the detection of bone marrow metastases in children and young adults with solid malignancies. METHODS In an institutional review board-approved prospective study, we performed 51 whole-body DW-MRI scans in 19 children and young adults (14 males, 5 females; age range: 1-25 years) with metastasized cancers before (n = 19 scans) and after (n = 32 scans) chemotherapy. Two readers determined the presence of focal bone marrow lesions in 10 anatomical areas. A third reader measured ADC and SNR of focal lesions and normal marrow. Simultaneously acquired 18F-FDG-PET scans served as the standard of reference. Data of b = 50 s/mm2 and 800 s/mm2 images were compared with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Inter-reader agreement was evaluated with weighted kappa statistics. RESULTS The SNR of bone marrow metastases was significantly higher compared to normal bone marrow on b = 50 s/mm2 (mean ± SD: 978.436 ± 1239.436 vs. 108.881 ± 109.813, p < 0.001) and b = 800 s/mm2 DW-MRI (499.638 ± 612.721 vs. 86.280 ± 89.120; p < 0.001). On 30 out of 32 post-treatment DW-MRI scans, reconverted marrow demonstrated low signal with low ADC values (0.385 × 10-3 ± 0.168 × 10-3mm2/s). The same number of metastases (556/588; 94.6%; p > 0.99) was detected on b = 50 s/mm2 and 800 s/mm2 images. However, both normal marrow and metastases exhibited low signals on ADC maps, limiting the ability to delineate metastases. The inter-reader agreement was substantial, with a weighted kappa of 0.783 and 0.778, respectively. CONCLUSION Bone marrow metastases in children and young adults can be equally well detected on b = 50 s/mm2 and 800 s/mm2 images, but ADC values can be misleading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Rashidi
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lucia Baratto
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Praveen Jayapal
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ashok Joseph Theruvath
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Elton Benjamin Greene
- Department of Radiology, Pediatric Radiology, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Rong Lu
- Quantitative Sciences Unit, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sheri L Spunt
- Department of Pediatrics, Hematology/Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Heike E Daldrup-Link
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Hematology/Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Radiology, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine, 725 Welch Rd, Stanford, CA, 94305-5654, USA.
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Daldrup-Link HE, Theruvath AJ, Baratto L, Hawk KE. One-stop local and whole-body staging of children with cancer. Pediatr Radiol 2022; 52:391-400. [PMID: 33929564 PMCID: PMC10874282 DOI: 10.1007/s00247-021-05076-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Accurate staging and re-staging of cancer in children is crucial for patient management. Currently, children with a newly diagnosed cancer must undergo a series of imaging tests, which are stressful, time-consuming, partially redundant, expensive, and can require repetitive anesthesia. New approaches for pediatric cancer staging can evaluate the primary tumor and metastases in a single session. However, traditional one-stop imaging tests, such as CT and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT, are associated with considerable radiation exposure. This is particularly concerning for children because they are more sensitive to ionizing radiation than adults and they live long enough to experience secondary cancers later in life. In this review article we discuss child-tailored imaging tests for tumor detection and therapy response assessment - tests that can be obtained with substantially reduced radiation exposure compared to traditional CT and PET/CT scans. This includes diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)/MRI and integrated [F-18]2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/MRI scans. While several investigators have compared the value of DWI/MRI and 18F-FDG PET/MRI for staging pediatric cancer, the value of these novel imaging technologies for cancer therapy monitoring has received surprisingly little attention. In this article, we share our experiences and review existing literature on this subject.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heike E Daldrup-Link
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University, 725 Welch Road, Room 1665, Stanford, CA, 94305-5614, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Cancer Imaging and Early Detection Program, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Ashok J Theruvath
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University, 725 Welch Road, Room 1665, Stanford, CA, 94305-5614, USA
- Cancer Imaging and Early Detection Program, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lucia Baratto
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University, 725 Welch Road, Room 1665, Stanford, CA, 94305-5614, USA
- Cancer Imaging and Early Detection Program, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kristina Elizabeth Hawk
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University, 725 Welch Road, Room 1665, Stanford, CA, 94305-5614, USA
- Cancer Imaging and Early Detection Program, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA, USA
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Farina A, Gasperini C, Aparisi Gómez MP, Bazzocchi A, Fanti S, Nanni C. The Role of FDG-PET and Whole-Body MRI in High Grade Bone Sarcomas With Particular Focus on Osteosarcoma. Semin Nucl Med 2021; 52:635-646. [PMID: 34879906 DOI: 10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2021.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Sarcoma represents less than 2% of adult malignancies and about 15% to 20% of malignancies in children and adolescents/young adults. This neoplasm accounts for more than 80 different clinico-pathological entities with different clinical behavior; osteosarcoma and ewing sarcoma are the most frequent primary bone tumors. Because of the general poor prognosis, it is important to find out as many prognostic factors as possible to choose the best therapeutical approach and to correctly schedule the follow-up examinations. Third level imaging such as MRI and PET/CT are of utmost importance in the evaluation of sarcoma patients. The spine and bones in general are optimal sites to be evaluated with FDG PET/CT since the physiological background is low. The standardized uptake value (SUV max, a semiquantitave parameter) is used as a surrogate for proliferative cell rate, and the spatial heterogeneity of FDG distribution within the primary mass as a surrogate for malignancy. In several studies SUVmax was a predictive value for overall survival and progression-free survival. Whole-body MRI is a well-established technique for systemic, radiation-free evaluation, which is mostly applied in the oncological field. WB-MRI provides a combination of anatomical and functional sequences and is useful specifically in the evaluation of disease in organs with relatively high background activity such as the brain, liver, kidney, and spinal canal. These technologies provide accurate staging (also useful to drive the biopsy towards the most active foci in large heterogeneous masses), therapy assessment, relapse detection of local recurrence and distance metastasis but also prognostic indexes, in the context of whole body diagnostic procedures. This paper will provide an overview of the role and added value of PET/CT and WB-MRI in bone sarcomas particular focus on osteosarcoma. We also analyzed the role of the PET/CT and MRI for target delineation of radiation therapy and we and we will do an analysis of future prospects as new tracer non FDG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Farina
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Chiara Gasperini
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Pilar Aparisi Gómez
- Department of Radiology, Auckland City Hospital,, Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand; Department of Radiology, Hospital Nueve de Octubre; Calle Valle de la Ballestera, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alberto Bazzocchi
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefano Fanti
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Cristina Nanni
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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