Clinical utility of magnetic resonance imaging in pediatric neurosurgical patients.

The clinical utility of magnetic resonance imaging in pediatric neurosurgical patients was reviewed in a series of 126 scans. MRI was determined to be superior or equivalent to other imaging techniques in the evaluation of intracranial hypertension, developmental abnormalities, or acute conditions involving the spinal cord. In 74% of the scans performed because of these clinical problems, adequate data were obtained for both specific anatomic diagnosis and surgical planning. The scan proved equivalent to CT in the imaging of structural abnormalities associated with seizure disorders or degenerative conditions. In acute head injuries and generalized infections of the central nervous system, MRI offered no advantage in diagnostic specificity, and had significant logistic limitations.