Purpose To compare PET-CT to conventional imaging (CI) in staging pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). Subjects and Methods Thirty subjects with RMS, median age 7.3 years, underwent PET-CT before therapy. PET-CTs and CI were independently reviewed by two radiologists and two nuclear medicine physician to determine the presence of nodal, pulmonary, bone, bone marrow and other sites of metastasis. Accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of PET-CT for detecting metastases was compared to CI using biopsy and clinical follow-up as reference standards. Maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) of primary tumors, lymph nodes and pulmonary nodules were measured. Results Primary tumors had an average SUVmax of 7.2 (range, 2.5-19.2). Accuracy rates for 17 subjects with nodal disease were 95% for PET-CT and 49% for CI. PET-CT had 94% sensitivity and 100% specificity for nodal disease. Of 7 pulmonary nodules detected by CI, 3 were not identified by PET-CT, 2 were indeterminate by PET-CT, and 1 was malignant with a SUVmax (3.4) > twice that of benign nodules. Two subjects had bone disease; both were identified by PET-CT but only 1 by CI. Four subjects had bone marrow disease, 2 had positive PET-CTs but none had positive CI. Two subjects had soft tissue metastases detected by PET-CT but not CI. Conclusion PET-CT performed better than CI in identifying nodal, bone, bone marrow, and soft tissue disease in children with RMS. CI remains essential for detection of pulmonary nodules. We recommend PET-CT for routine staging of children with RMS. CI with Tc99m bone scan can be eliminated.

Abdominal pain is the most common complaint in all ages for children presenting with intussusception. In children younger than 12 months, the strongest clinical predictors are emesis, irritability, and blood in the stool. For diagnosing intussusceptions, radiographs of the abdomen performed well, but ultrasound performed better, diagnosing intussusception in 92% of the cases.

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Two patients with aneurysmal bone cysts of the spine demonstrate striking similarities when examined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), while the plain radiographs and images on computed tomography (CT) are quite different. Gadolinium DTPA enhanced T1W images were especially helpful in the definition of the lesion by showing enhancement of the septations of the aneurysmal bone cysts. The septations represent the fibrous walls inherent to these lesions.

The classical abnormalities of von Recklinghausen disease (VRD) or neurofibromatosis are well recognized. However, vertebral scalloping and gauge defects of the anterior and lateral aspects have not been reviewed, to the authors' knowledge. Case reports of 3 patients with vertebral scalloping are presented. The classical posterior scalloping from dural ectasia is also discussed. These concavities can occur either in isolation, or contiguous to a tumor. Recognition of them can aid in the diagnosis and evaluation of patients with suspected VRD.

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