Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease and imaging-related radiation: are we increasing the likelihood of malignancy?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Increasing use of diagnostic radiography has led to concern about the malignant potential of ionizing radiation. We aimed to quantify the cumulative effective dose (CED) from diagnostic medical imaging in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to identify which children are at greatest risk for high amounts of image-related radiation exposure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review of pediatric IBD patients seen between January 1 and May 30, 2008 was conducted. The effective dose of radiation received from all of the radiology tests performed during the course of each patient's treatment was estimated using typical effective doses and our institution's computed tomography dose index. A CED ≥50 mSv was considered high. RESULTS: Complete records were available for 257 of 372 screened subjects. One hundred seventy-one had Crohn disease (CD) and 86 had ulcerative colitis (UC). The mean CED was 17.56 ± 15.91 mSv and was greater for children with CD than for those with UC (20.5 ± 17.5 vs 11.7 ± 9.9 mSv, P < 0.0001). Fifteen children (5.8%) had a CED ≥50 mSv, including 14 of 171 (8.2%) with CD and 1 of 86 (1.2%) with UC (P = 0.02). In children with CD, factors associated with high CED per multivariate analysis were any IBD-related surgery (odds ratio 42, 95% confidence interval 8-223, P < 0.0001) and platelet count (odds ratio 16, 95% confidence interval 1.5-175, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Although all doses of ionizing radiation have some malignancy-inducing potential, a small but important percentage of children with IBD are exposed to particularly high doses of ionizing radiation from diagnostic tests and procedures. Physicians caring for such patients must seek to limit radiation exposure whenever possible to lessen the lifetime risk of malignancy.

Key clinical predictors in the early diagnosis of adnexal torsion in children.

OBJECTIVE: Adnexal torsion (AT) accounts for 2.7% of cases of acute abdominal pain in children. When AT is undiagnosed, ovarian blood supply is compromised, eventually leading to tissue necrosis. Because the clinical presentation of AT is nonspecific, preoperative diagnosis is challenging. The purpose of this study was to identify predictors that differentiate AT from other sources of acute abdominal pain. METHODS: This study was an IRB-approved retrospective chart review of girls age 4-18 y/o with acute abdominal pain who then underwent surgical evaluation. Data collected included age, menarchal status, symptoms, physical exam findings, laboratory tests, imaging studies, operative procedures and postoperative diagnosis. Factors associated with AT were included in a logistic regression model. A receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve based on this model was then constructed in order to determine its ability to predict AT. RESULTS: 94 patients presented with acute abdominal pain; 45 were diagnosed with AT and 49 with other causes of abdominal pain. Presence of intermittent pain (P < .0217), non-radiating pain (P < .0229) and increased adnexal size (P < .0032) were significantly associated with AT in the final model. The area under the ROC curve was equal to 0.8601, suggesting excellent discrimination between AT and other causes of acute abdominal pain by using these 3 parameters. CONCLUSION: Key clinical and imaging findings can aid in the early diagnosis of AT in children. Future prospective studies will focus on development of a clinical predictive model for the diagnosis of AT in the pediatric population.

Hydronephrosis in infants and children: natural history and risk factors for persistence in children followed by a medical service.

BACKGROUND: Infants with neonatal hydronephrosis and a normal voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) are presumed to have ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO). There is little current information about the natural history of children with hydronephrosis or clinical factors that predict resolution of the radiological abnormality. OBJECTIVE: To determine the time course until spontaneous resolution of neonatal hydronephrosis and define risk factors for persistence of the abnormality. METHODS: This retrospective single center review examined infants and children <5 years of age with hydronephrosis who were followed for at least 12 months. RESULTS: 136 children were identified (96 male:40 female). The mean age at diagnosis of hydronephrosis was 3.3 ± 9.7 months and 76% of the patients were diagnosed at birth. The hydronephrosis was unilateral in 98 (72%) of cases, and hydronephrosis was at least moderate in severity in 22% of affected kidneys. At last follow-up at 30 ± 10 months, the abnormality had resolved in 77 out of 115 (67%) available patients, 30 (26%) had been referred to urology, and 12 (10%) had persistent hydronephrosis. Severity of hydronephrosis was the only clinical feature that predicted persistence of the abnormality (P < 0.001). There was an association between detection at birth and lack of resolution of hydronephrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Children with hydronephrosis and presumed UPJO and normal kidney parenchyma can be followed for at least 2 years to allow for spontaneous resolution before referral to urology. Serial sonography can be performed at 6 month intervals in uncomplicated cases. More severe hydronephrosis and presence of the lesion at birth may predict infants and children requiring closer observation and referral for possible surgical correction of the hydronephrosis.

Retropharyngeal abscess in children: 10-year study.

OBJECTIVE: Retrospective analysis of all patients treated for retropharyngeal infection in a tertiary care pediatric hospital. METHODS: Charts were reviewed for demographic data, duration of symptoms, radiologic workup, antibiotic choice, microbiologic findings, surgical approach, complications, and duration of medical therapy. Surgical findings were correlated with computed tomographic (CT) scans. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients were included in the study. Empirical intravenous clindamycin was started for a trial of conservative medical therapy. Fifty-one patients (75%) responded to medical treatment, and only 17 patients (25%) required surgical intervention. The CT scan showed a sensitivity of 43% and a specificity of 63% in this series. None of the patients with retropharyngeal infection died, had a major complication, or had a recurrence. CONCLUSION: Based on the current study, we propose that all patients should be given a trial of medical treatment with intravenous clindamycin. Surgery should be reserved for those who do not respond. An extensive review of the literature is presented.

Lateral neck radiography versus direct video rhinoscopy in assessing adenoid size.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of adynamic lateral neck radiographs and dynamic video rhinoscopy in assessing adenoid size and the relationship of these methods to associated symptoms and thus the severity of the disease. METHODS: Children with suspected adenoid hypertrophy underwent standard lateral neck soft tissue radiographs: the percentage of airway occlusion, adenoid to nasopharynx (AN) ratio, airway to soft palate ratio, and adenoid thickness were assessed by a radiologist. The percentage of airway closure was assessed by direct fibre-optic rhinoscopy in an ear, nose, and throat clinic. Associated clinical symptoms were assessed by parents using a standardized questionnaire, evaluating the severity of symptoms (snoring, sleep apnea, mouth breathing, and otitis media) to give a total symptom score out of 16. RESULTS: Nonparametric statistical analysis using Spearman's correlation coefficients was performed on 32 patients. There was a weak correlation, which approaches significance, between the percentage of airway occlusion assessed by fibre-optic rhinoscopy and the total symptom score (r = .344, p = .054). However, this correlation becomes significant when the frequency of otitis media is omitted (r = .367, p = .039). There was also a significant correlation between airway occlusion assessed by rhinoscopy and the percentage of airway occlusion as determined by lateral neck radiography (r = .431, p = .014). There was no correlation between any of the measurements taken by lateral soft tissue neck radiography and total symptom score. CONCLUSION: Dynamic video rhinoscopy is more accurate at assessing adenoid hypertrophy, and the percentage of airway occlusion, as estimated by video rhinoscopy, is better correlated to the severity of symptoms than are values obtained by lateral neck radiography.