title: Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging in children: state of the art.
abstract: Whole-body imaging in children was classically performed with radiography, positron-emission tomography, either combined or not with computed tomography, the latter with the disadvantage of exposure to ionizing radiation. Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in association with the recently developed metabolic and functional techniques such as diffusion-weighted imaging, has brought the advantage of a comprehensive evaluation of pediatric patients without the risks inherent to ionizing radiation usually present in other conventional imaging methods. It is a rapid and sensitive method, particularly in pediatrics, for detecting and monitoring multifocal lesions in the body as a whole. In pediatrics, it is utilized for both oncologic and non-oncologic indications such as screening and diagnosis of tumors in patients with genetic syndromes, evaluation of disease extent and staging, evaluation of therapeutic response and post-therapy follow-up, evaluation of non neoplastic diseases such as multifocal osteomyelitis, vascular malformations and syndromes affecting multiple regions of the body. The present review was aimed at describing the major indications of whole-body MRI in pediatrics added of technical considerations.
authors.affiliation: PhD, Attending Physician at Centro de Ciências das Imagens e Física Médica (CCIFM) do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sara Reis
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: PhD, Associate Professor, Division of Radiology, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elias Junior
authors.affiliation: PhD, Professor, Division of Radiology, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcello Henrique
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Nogueira-Barbosa
authors.affiliation: PhD, Attending Physician at Hospital Heliópolis and A.C.Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos Duarte
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.affiliation: PhD, Full Professor, Division of Radiology, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Edson
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marchiori
authors.affiliation: PhD, Attending Physician at Centro de Ciências das Imagens e Física Médica (CCIFM) do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcel Koenigkam
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Santos
keywords: Diffusion-weighted imaging; Magnetic resonance imaging; Pediatrics; Whole-body MRI