The mortality rate of spine-related trauma in children is higher than in adults and is estimated at 25% to 32%. Fortunately, children with incomplete neurologic lesions fare better than adults, with up to 90% having partial recovery and 60% having…
Vascular lesions of the spine are uncommon in children. Vascular lesions are subdivided into fast-flow lesions, such as arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs), and slow-flow lesions, such as venous (formerly “cavernous”) malformations. Rarely, children suffer spinal cord infarcts.…
Spinal Neoplasms Overview. Spinal tumors occur predominantly in young or middle-aged adults and are rare in children. The most common presentation is vague pain, gait disturbance, change in spinal curvature, motor weakness, and bowel and bladder dysfunction. In this chapter,…
Pediatric spinal cord imaging relies heavily on ultrasound (US) in infants under 6 months of age and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) thereafter. Other imaging modalities, such as radiography, computed tomography (CT), and nuclear scintigraphy, have a limited role but may…
Embryology The spinal cord forms in three stages beginning in the third gestational week. The first stage, neurulation, involves progression from neural plate to neural tube. The notochord becomes the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disks. The second stage, canalization,…
Incidence and Etiology Head trauma and resulting traumatic brain injury (TBI) are among the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in children. Head trauma alone is responsible for 50% of deaths in children ages 1 to 14 years. Approximately…
Stroke is defined as a neurologic deficit persisting for more than 24 hours and may be caused by cerebral ischemia or intracranial hemorrhage. The annual incidence of stroke in children ranges from 2 to 13 cases per 100,000 patients and…
Primary inflammatory processes in the pediatric neck are common, and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) allows for characterization of the involved spaces, detecting complications, and determining appropriate clinical management. Pharyngotonsillitis and Peritonsillar Abscess Overview. Acute infectious pharyngitis and tonsillitis are common…