Infants and children with neck masses frequently present to the radiologist for further evaluation. The role of the radiologist is to differentiate between conditions using imaging modalities such as ultrasound with colour Doppler, CT and MRI. Where appropriate, the radiologist will also stage lesions for management purposes and aid in guiding aspiration or biopsy. This paper presents a pictorial review of paediatric neck masses and their imaging features. Particular emphasis is applied to the anatomical site of the mass to aid in differential diagnosis. It must be emphasised that the radiological findings should always be interpreted in conjunction with the patient's age, the clinical history and the findings on physical examination.
The matter of whether there should be separate registration for those practising in the field of medical ultrasound has long been debated. The United Kingdom Association of Sonographers (UKAS) has been a protagonist for such registration since it was formed approximately a decade ago. On the other hand, the College of Radiographers (CoR) has held to the view that this was not necessary as ultrasound came within the scope of practice of radiography and the majority of non-medical ultrasound practitioners are radiographers. The advent of the Health Professions Council, the increased focus on regulation of health care practitioners and significant developments in ultrasound applications has led to this matter being debated further. In particular, it has led to joint working by CoR and UKAS to scope an application for 'Sonographer' to become a protected title and, hence, sonography a registered profession. The history and background to this current work is outlined, together with a brief review of the work taking place and the steps that must be taken if the application is to be submitted.
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