title: Neck masses in children.
abstract: Infants and children with neck masses frequently present to the radiologist for further evaluation. The role of the radiologist is to differentiate between conditions using imaging modalities such as ultrasound with colour Doppler, CT and MRI. Where appropriate, the radiologist will also stage lesions for management purposes and aid in guiding aspiration or biopsy. This paper presents a pictorial review of paediatric neck masses and their imaging features. Particular emphasis is applied to the anatomical site of the mass to aid in differential diagnosis. It must be emphasised that the radiological findings should always be interpreted in conjunction with the patient's age, the clinical history and the findings on physical examination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, 180 Falls Road, Belfast BT12 6BE, UK.
authors.forename: J R A
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Turkington
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paterson
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Sweeney
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Thornbury
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D003560:Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014463:Ultrasonography