Magnetic resonance imaging of vascular lesions in children. Assessment of flow patterns.

Ten children aged 1 week to 13 years with 12 vascular abnormalities were examined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other imaging modalities. MRI was the only single non-invasive modality that demonstrated all lesions and their internal structures. The vascular nature of 3 hemangiomas could not be established with MRI alone. No marked differences in MRI appearance was seen in 5 cases with vascular tumors compared with 5 cases with other vascular abnormalities. The status of the blood in the vascular lesions as flowing fast, slow, or not at all was successfully assessed in 9 of the 12 lesions.