Agenesis of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is a rare anomaly which can be identified as incidental finding or can be associated with iliofemoral vein thrombosis. IVC agenesis has a known association with renal anomalies which are mainly confined to the right kidney. We describe a case of a 14-year-old male who presented with left leg swelling and pain. Ultrasonography confirmed the presence of left leg deep vein thrombosis (DVT). No underlying hematologic risk factors were identified. A CT scan was obtained which demonstrated absent infrarenal IVC and extensive thrombosis in the left deep venous system and development of collateral venous flow into the azygous/hemiazygous system, with extension of thrombus into paraspinal collaterals. An additional finding in the patient was an atrophic left kidney and stenosis of an accessory left renal artery. Agenesis of the IVC should be considered in a young patient presenting with lower extremity DVT, especially in patients with no risk factors for thrombosis. As agenesis of the IVC cannot be corrected, one should be aware that there is a lifelong risk of lower extremity DVT.

Congenital midline cervical cleft (CMCC) is a rare congenital anomaly. CMCC and its complications and treatment have been well described in ENT, dermatology, and pediatric surgery literature. However, to our knowledge, the imaging work-up has not been reported in the literature thus far. We present a case of CMCC in a neonate with description of clinical presentation and imaging features.

Pulmonary interstitial emphysema (PIE) is not an uncommon finding in premature infants with respiratory distress who need respiratory support by mechanical ventilation. PIE has been reported in a few cases of neonates in whom either no treatment other than room air was given or they were given continuous positive end-expiratory pressure (CPAP) support. We present a case of a premature neonate who presented with respiratory distress, in whom PIE and spontaneous pneumothorax (PTX) developed while on CPAP therapy only. The patient was treated conservatively with subsequent resolution of the radiological findings and clinical improvement. No surgical intervention was required. It is important to know that PIE may develop independently of mechanical ventilation. We would like to add this case to the literature and describe the pertinent plain film and computed tomography (CT) findings of this entity, the possible mechanism of development, and the differential diagnosis. A review of the literature is also provided.

The use of noninvasive ultrasound examinations can potentially result in significant anxiety in the pediatric population. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of music during pediatric ultrasound examinations to reduce anxiety measured by heart rate. A total of 44 patients were recruited; 21 controls and 23 experimental. Each participant was randomized to either music or no music (control) after parental consent was obtained. Pulse oximeters were used to monitor heart rate at 15 second intervals for a total of 1 minute, with mean values calculated prior to entering the procedure room, during the middle of the procedure, and after the procedure was completed. The total scan time was determined from the initial image acquisition until the last image recorded by the ultrasound technologist. At the completion of each procedure, the ultrasound technologist scored the ease of performance for the scan on a subjective scale of 1-10 based on prior experience. When utilizing music during pediatric ultrasounds examinations, our study demonstrated significantly decreased heart rate variability from pre-procedural to post-procedural periods. There was no statistical significant difference in total scan time or ultrasound technologist scoring between the two groups. This study demonstrates that music is an inexpensive and effective means of reducing anxiety during pediatric ultrasound as indicated by heart rate.

We present a 14-year-old boy with peritoneal epithelial malignant mesothelioma (PEMM). While pathology is required to make this diagnosis, radiology plays a crucial role throughout the clinical course of this disease. The key imaging characteristics of peritoneal mesothelioma have been previously well-described in the adult population, but there are rare reports in the pediatric population. This pediatric report highlights the multidimensional use of imaging in this disease, from the initial evaluation to therapeutic supplementation and subsequent follow-up.