Clinical utility of magnetic resonance imaging in pediatrics.

A review of over 100 articles and our own experience of scanning nearly 500 children with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging indicate that MR is well tolerated by children. Magnetic resonance is already proving to be the imaging modality of choice for the central nervous system. It should soon prove its utility for the study of most tumors, vascular problems, and infections of the musculoskeletal system. In other regions of the body, MR can identify abnormality well, but many of these abnormalities can be identified well with other modalities, and the precise role of MR is yet to be defined. We anticipate that the number of indications for the use of MR will grow rapidly.