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Rapidly involuting congenital hemangioma (RICH) is a recently recognized entity in which the vascular tumor is fully developed at birth and undergoes rapid involution. Angiographic findings in two infants with congenital hemangioma are reported and compared with a more common postnatal infantile hemangioma and a congenital infantile fibrosarcoma. Congenital hemangiomas differed from infantile hemangiomas angiographically by inhomogeneous parenchymal staining, large and irregular feeding arteries in disorganized patterns, arterial aneurysms, direct arteriovenous shunts, and intravascular thrombi. Both infants had clinical evidence of a high-output cardiac failure and intralesional bleeding. This congenital high-flow vascular tumor is difficult to distinguish angiographically from arteriovenous malformation and congenital infantile fibrosarcoma.

ABSTRACT. Objective. To assess the outcome of image-guided needle aspiration when compared with image-guided percutaneous catheter drainage in the management of parapneumonic effusions in children.Methods. A retrospective chart review was conducted of the medical records, microbiology, and radiology reports of 67 children who presented with parapneumonic effusions and underwent primary image-guided drainage between April 1, 1995, and April 1, 2000.Results. Thirty-four patients had aspiration only, and 33 patients had pigtail catheters placed. The 2 drainage methods had similar median length of stay and complication rates. The reintervention rate in this study was 27% (18 patients). Children who underwent primary aspiration without catheter placement had significantly higher rates of reintervention. Method of drainage, pH lower than 7.2, and loculation of the fluid collection were independent predictors of reintervention. A low glucose level was an additive predictor of reintervention when the pH was low.Conclusions. Aspiration and catheter drainage of parapneumonic effusions had similar complication rates and lengths of stay, but children who underwent primary aspiration had significantly higher reintervention rates, particularly when pH and glucose levels were low. Therefore, primary catheter placement for parapneumonic effusions should be considered in children who undergo diagnostic thoracentesis. The decision regarding tube placement could be facilitated by the on-site availability of a pH meter and a glucometer. Pediatrics 2002; 110(3). URL: http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/ 110/3/e37; pneumonia, pleural effusions, parapneumonic effusion, drainage, thoracentesis, simple aspiration, percutaneous catheter drainage.ABBREVIATIONS. VATS, video assisted thoracoscopic surgery; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; WBC, white blood cell; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval. P neumonia is the most common cause of the development of thoracic fluid collections in children. Evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of parapneumonic effusions in adults 1 have recently become available, but the optimal treatment of children remains controversial. The reasons for draining parapneumonic pleural effusions include reliable diagnosis of the infectious agent, removal of infected fluid or pus, and, less frequently, alleviation of symptoms related to the volume effect of fluid accumulation.Various procedures are available to drain pleural effusions. These include needle aspiration, tube thoracostomy, video-assisted thoracoscopy, and thoracotomy with or without decortication. Image-guided percutaneous procedures are precise and relatively noninvasive alternatives to surgical management. 2,3 Two such image-guided techniques are aspiration and percutaneous catheter drainage.Although it is standard practice to analyze the pleural fluid in children with parapneumonic effusions at our institution, the decision of whether to proceed to percutaneous catheter drainage after aspiration is not based on evidence-based data. This retro...

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We suggest that MRI may be helpful to assess the extent of this disease more accurately.

To evaluate the mesenteric circulation with magnetic resonance (MR) angiography, the authors examined 16 individuals (12 patients, four volunteers) with a gadolinium-enhanced, breath-hold, fat-saturated, multiecho, three-dimensional, gradient-echo sequence. Twenty examinations were performed. Grades of 3 or 4 (on a five-point scale [4 = best seen, 0 = not seen]) were applicable to 17 (85%) of 20 MR angiograms obtained in superior mesenteric artery trunks, 15 (75%) in celiac arteries, five (25%) in inferior mesenteric arteries; 15 (75%) of first-order branching, 12 (60%) of second-order branching, and 10 (50%) of third-order branching; 17 (85%) in superior mesenteric veins; and 17 (85%) in portal veins. MR angiography with this technique depicted the mesenteric arterial and venous circulation and the portal vein with excellent resolution in a short time.

Birthmarks are common and commonly ignored by patients and primary care doctors. Yet they sometimes represent significant vascular anomalies that require diagnosis and treatment. We summarize when and how to work up a variety of vascular anomalies. s KEY POINTS Knowing the vascular anomalies underlying birthmarks helps avoid missed or incorrect diagnosis or an extensive, unnecessary workup. The history and physical examination provide enough information to make the diagnosis, but imaging is needed to evaluate the extent of deep tissue involvement and to help plan treatment. Some arteriovenous malformations can progress rapidly, so the diagnostic workup should be completed as soon as possible.