Ultrasound (US) is a simple, non-invasive imaging modality which allows high-resolution imaging of the musculoskeletal (MSK) system. Its increasing popularity in pediatrics is due to the fact that it does not involve radiation, has an ability to visualize non-ossified cartilaginous and vascular structures, allows dynamic imaging and quick contralateral comparison. US is the primary imaging modality in some pediatric MSK conditions like infant hip in developmental dysplasia (DDH), hip joint effusion, epiphyseal trauma and evaluation of the neonatal spine. US is the modality of choice in infants with DDH, both in the initial evaluation and post-treatment follow-up. US has a sensitivity equivalent to MRI in evaluation of the neonatal spine in experienced hands and is a good screening modality in neonates with suspected occult neural tube defects. In other MSK applications, it is often used for the initial diagnosis or in addition to other imaging modalities. In trauma and infections, US can often detect early and subtle soft tissue abnormalities and a quick comparison with the contralateral side aids in diagnoses. Dynamic imaging is crucial in evaluating congenital instabilities and dislocations, soft tissue and ligamentous injuries, epiphyseal injuries and fracture separations. High-resolution imaging along with color Doppler (CD) is useful in the characterization of soft tissue masses. This article reviews the applications of US in pediatric MSK with emphasis on conditions where it is a primary modality. Limitations of US include inability to penetrate bone, hence, limited diagnosis of intraosseous pathology and operator dependency.
Antenatal diagnosis of the common variant (associated with tetralogy of Fallot) of APVS is easy because of its typical features of a dilated main pulmonary and branch arteries and color Doppler detection of severe stenosis and insufficiency of the functionally absent pulmonary valve. However, the second variant of APVS can have various findings, which can make a specific diagnosis difficult.
Evolution in ultrasound technology leads to birth of high frequency, high resolution linear transducers which in turn revolutionized the imaging of superficial structures. The majority of cases presenting to clinician in day-to-day practice as facial lumps or neck lump could be evaluated using ultrasound and help in imaging of salivary gland lesions. The age of the clinical presentation and morphological characteristics of lesions on ultrasound helped us in making confident diagnosis which was correlated on fine needle aspiration cytology/histopathology studies.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.