Serial MRI Findings After Endoscopic Removal of Button Battery From the Esophagus.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to evaluate findings at serial MRI after endoscopic removal of a button battery from the esophagus in a series of pediatric patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Serial MRI examinations after removal of a button battery from the esophagus were reviewed retrospectively for the presence of mediastinal edema; imaging characteristics of the aorta and arteries; imaging characteristics of the trachea; and imaging characteristics of the esophageal wall at the level of injury. RESULTS. A total of 48 MRI examinations were performed on 19 patients, 89% (17/19) in the first 48 hours after battery removal. Serial MRI was performed for 84% (16/19) of patients. Initial MRI showed extensive mediastinal edema in all 17 patients who underwent MRI in the first 48 hours. Edema directly abutted major arteries in all 17 patients and abutted the airway in all 10 patients with proximal esophageal injury. Arterial vascular changes were seen in 30% (3/10) of patients with proximal esophageal injury and 57% (4/7) of patients with mid or distalesophageal injury. Airway changes were seen in 80% (8/10) of patients with proximal esophageal injury. Serial MRI showed improvement of airway changes in all patients and improvement in vessel wall changes in all but one (25%, 1/4) of the patients who had mid or distal esophageal injury. Four patients (21% [4/19]) had contained esophageal leak on esophagrams. No patients in our series developed a tracheoesophageal or vascular-enteric fistula. CONCLUSION. Our case series provides important information on natural history of MRI findings in children after endoscopic removal of a button battery from the esophagus. Further studies are needed to determine the imaging findings most sensitive and specific for severe complications, such as tracheoesophageal fistula and vascular-enteric fistula.

Incidence and importance of portal venous gas in children with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS) is a common cause of gastric outlet obstruction in young infants. Infants with HPS present with projectile vomiting, sometimes have electrolyte abnormalities and typically undergo pyloromyotomy to alleviate the obstruction. Abdominal US is the gold standard imaging study for diagnosis. Case reports of incidental hepatic portal venous gas have been reported in infants with HPS; however, no large studies have been conducted to determine the incidence or possible clinical implications of this finding. OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence of portal venous gas in infants with HPS and to determine whether the presence of this gas in infants with HPS indicates a more unstable patient, increased length of stay or worse outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of sonographic reports containing "pyloric stenosis," excluding negative descriptor, at a tertiary-care children's hospital from November 2010 to September 2017. Data collected included pyloric thickness/length, liver evaluation, portal venous gas, any additional imaging, demographics, symptomatology days, electrolyte abnormality, and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: In a 7-year period, 545 US exams were positive for HPS. Of these, 334 exams included enough hepatic parenchyma to evaluate for portal venous gas. Infants in 6 of the 334 exams demonstrated portal venous gas (1.8%). Clinical presentation (length of symptoms and electrolyte abnormalities), demographics (male predominance and age at presentation) and imaging characteristics (pyloric thickness and length) were similar for the HPS groups with and without portal venous gas. There was no significant difference in outcome or length of hospital stay. CONCLUSION: Visualization of portal venous gas in infants with HPS is not rare and appears benign, without need for further imaging. Portal venous gas in infants with HPS does not portend a more severe patient presentation or outcome.

Radiology Reading Room Huddles: Our Initial Experience.

OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to adapt the safety, methods, equipment, supplies, and associates, termed "S-MESA," communication tool from daily management huddles and implement it in radiology reading rooms to address the complexities of daily communications. We collected data on huddle logistics and perceived value from radiologists at an academic institution. MATERIALS AND METHODS. We constructed a 16-item survey composed of multiple-choice questions (single answer and multiple answers), statements requiring Likert scale ratings (from 1 [strongly disagree] to 5 [strongly agree]), and items requiring free text responses. The survey was distributed to 244 radiologists. Answers were collected over a 6-week period. RESULTS. The response rate was 41% (101/244). The majority of huddles were performed sometimes (59%) or daily or nearly daily (25%), and most lasted 5 minutes or less (83%), which was perceived as "just right" (87.5%). The components discussed more frequently in the huddle were availability (33.5%) and time goals (27%). Task review (19%) and miscellaneous (14%) were not as common. Huddles were valued for facilitating communication and better organizing the workday. CONCLUSION. Reading room huddles are feasible and perceived as useful. Moving forward, we are planning to integrate reading room huddles with multitier system huddles and include items that are of specific interest to radiology trainees.

Risk factors and surveillance for reduced bone mineral density in pediatric cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric cancer survivors are at increased risk of developing low bone mineral density (BMD) due to cancer treatment. This study assessed the yield of screening for low BMD in pediatric-aged cancer survivors as per the Children's Oncology Group Long-Term Follow-Up (COG-LTFU) Guidelines, which recommend screening survivors who received steroids, methotrexate, or hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of 475 pediatric blood cancer and noncentral nervous system solid tumor survivors screened for low BMD with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as per the COG-LTFU Guidelines from 2003 to 2010. Risk factors for low BMD (DXA Z-score ≤-2) were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The mean DXA Z-score was -0.1 for both whole body and lumbar spine measurements. Among at-risk survivors, 8.2% (39/475) had low BMD. Multivariate analysis of survivors with low BMD showed significant association with male gender (odds ratio [OR] 3.4, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3-9.0), exposure to total body irradiation (TBI), cranial, or craniospinal radiation (OR 5.2, 95% CI, 1.8-14.9), and gonadal dysfunction (OR 4.3, 95% CI, 1.4-13.0). Methotrexate exposure was not significantly associated with low BMD. Survivors receiving HCT had a reduced risk of low BMD (OR 0.2, 95% CI, 0.1-0.9). CONCLUSION: The highest risk factors for low BMD were male gender, exposure to TBI, cranial, or craniospinal radiation, and gonadal dysfunction. Survivors receiving methotrexate or HCT therapy have the lowest risk for low BMD among those screened. Future studies should investigate risk of low BMD for survivors receiving HCT without radiation exposure.

Trainees May Add Value to Patient Care by Decreasing Addendum Utilization in Radiology Reports.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of trainee involvement and other factors on addendum rates in radiology reports. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was performed in a tertiary care pediatric hospital. From the institutional radiology data repository, we extracted all radiology reports from January 1 to June 30, 2016, as well as trainee (resident or fellow) involvement, imaging modality, patient setting (emergency, inpatient, or outpatient), order status (routine vs immediate), time of interpretation (regular work hours vs off-hours), radiologist's years of experience, and sex. We grouped imaging modalities as advanced (CT, MRI, and PET) or nonadvanced (any modality that was not CT, MRI, or PET) and radiologist experience level as ≤ 20 years or > 20 years. Our outcome measure was the rate of addenda in radiology reports. Statistical analysis was performed using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: From 129,033 reports finalized during the study period, 418 (0.3%) had addenda. Reports generated without trainees were 12 times more likely than reports with trainee involvement to have addenda (odds ratio [OR] = 12.2, p < 0.001). Advanced imaging studies were more likely than nonadvanced studies to be associated with addendum use (OR = 4.7, p < 0.001). Reports generated for patients in emergency or outpatient settings had a slightly higher likelihood of addendum use than those in an inpatient setting (OR = 1.5, p = 0.04; and OR = 1.3, p = 0.04, respectively). Routine orders had a slightly higher likelihood of addendum use compared with immediate orders (OR = 1.3, p = 0.01). We found no difference in addendum use by radiologist's sex, radiologist's years of experience, emergency versus outpatient setting, or time of interpretation. CONCLUSION: Trainees may add value to patient care by decreasing addendum rates in radiology reports.

The effects of expanding outpatient and inpatient evaluation and management services in a pediatric interventional radiology practice.

BACKGROUND: Despite a continuing emphasis on evaluation and management clinical services in adult interventional radiology (IR) practice, the peer-reviewed literature addressing these services - and their potential economic benefits - is lacking in pediatric IR practice. OBJECTIVE: To measure the effects of expanding evaluation and management (E&M) services through the establishment of a dedicated pediatric interventional radiology outpatient clinic and inpatient E&M reporting system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected and analyzed E&M current procedural terminology (CPT) codes from all patients seen in a pediatric interventional radiology outpatient clinic between November 2014 and August 2015. We also calculated the number of new patients seen in the clinic who had a subsequent procedure (procedural conversion rate). For comparison, we used historical data comprising pediatric patients seen in a general interventional radiology (IR) clinic for the 2 years immediately prior. An inpatient E&M reporting system was implemented and all inpatient E&M (and subsequent procedural) services between July 2015 and September 2015 were collected and analyzed. We estimated revenue for both outpatient and inpatient services using the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule global non-facility price as a surrogate. RESULTS: Following inception of a pediatric IR clinic, the number of new outpatients (5.5/month; +112%), procedural conversion rate (74.5%; +19%), estimated E&M revenue (+158%), and estimated procedural revenue from new outpatients (+228%) all increased. Following implementation of an inpatient clinic reporting system, there were 8.3 consults and 7.3 subsequent hospital encounters per month, with a procedural conversion rate of 88%. CONCLUSION: Growth was observed in all meaningful metrics following expansion of outpatient and inpatient pediatric IR E&M services.

Quality measures and pediatric radiology: suggestions for the transition to value-based payment.

Recent political and economic factors have contributed to a meaningful change in the way that quality in health care, and by extension value, are viewed. While quality is often evaluated on the basis of subjective criteria, pay-for-performance programs that link reimbursement to various measures of quality require use of objective and quantifiable measures. This evolution to value-based payment was accelerated by the 2015 passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) Reauthorization Act (MACRA). While many of the drivers of these changes are rooted in federal policy and programs such as Medicare and aimed at adult patients, the practice of pediatrics and pediatric radiology will be increasingly impacted. This article addresses issues related to the use of quantitative measures to evaluate the quality of services provided by the pediatric radiology department or sub-specialty section, particularly as seen from the viewpoint of a payer that may be considering ways to link payment to performance. The paper concludes by suggesting a metric categorization strategy to frame future work on the subject.

Experience with the use of propofol for radiologic imaging in infants younger than 6 months of age.

BACKGROUND: There is an increased risk associated with procedural sedation of infants younger than 6 months of age. The use of propofol for radiologic imaging of this age group is not well studied. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesize that adverse events are higher in the infant population receiving propofol for radiologic imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review was undertaken of 304 infants younger than 6 months old who received propofol for procedural sedation from October 2012 to February 2015. Patient demographics, propofol dosing, sedation-related adverse events and interventions were collected. Serious adverse events were defined as laryngospasm, aspiration, the need for admission, cardiac arrest or death. RESULTS: Procedural sedation for radiologic imaging was successful in 301/304 (99%) of infants using propofol. Of these 304 patients, 130 (42.8%) patients were female, and 240 of the 304 (79%) were between 3 and 6 months of age. The majority of patients (172/304 [56.6%]) were American Society of Anesthesiologists-Physical Status Class II. There were 57 sedation-related, minor adverse events in 39 out of 304 (12.8%) patients. Thirteen of the 304 (4.3%) patients had 14 serious adverse events, with airway obstruction the most common. Eighty interventions were required in 56/304 (18.4%) patients. The most common interventions were continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in 25/304 patients (8.2%) and jaw thrust in 15/304 (4.9%). The median induction propofol dose was 4.7 mg/kg. A need for an increase in the propofol infusion rate during the procedure was noted in 162/304 (53.3%) infants. No significant predictors of sedation-related adverse events were detected. CONCLUSION: Propofol can be used for radiologic imaging of infants younger than 6 months of age with a high success rate. Practitioners should be mindful of significantly higher dosing requirements and a higher incidence of airway events, which can be easily identified and managed by a team of experienced sedation providers.

Malakoplakia and primary immunodeficiency.

Malakoplakia, a rare granulomatous disease caused by impaired macrophage response, has been reported only rarely in children. We report 3 unique cases, with lesions occurring in unusual locations in children with primary immune deficiencies.

Normal patterns of 18F-FDG appendiceal uptake in children.

BACKGROUND: Prior to interpreting PET/CT, it is crucial to understand the normal biodistribution of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). It is also important to realize that the normal biodistribution can vary between adults and children. Although many studies have defined normal patterns of pediatric FDG uptake in structures like the thymus, brown fat and bone marrow, patterns of normal pediatric bowel activity, specifically uptake within the appendix, have not been well described. Active lymphoid tissue has increased FDG uptake when compared with inactive tissue. Since children have more active lymphoid tissue than adults, and because the appendix contains aggregated lymphoid tissue, we postulated that appendiceal uptake may be increased in pediatric patients. OBJECTIVE: To define the normal level of appendiceal FDG activity in children by evaluating a series of consecutive FDG PET/CT scans performed for other indications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After obtaining IRB approval, we retrospectively reviewed 128 consecutive whole-body pediatric FDG PET/CT examinations obtained for a variety of clinical indications. CT scans on which the appendix could not be visualized were excluded from analysis. CT scans on which the appendix could be visualized were evaluated for underlying appendiceal pathology. Studies with appendiceal or periappendiceal pathology by CT criteria were excluded. A region of interest (ROI) was placed over a portion of each appendix and appendiceal maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was calculated. If an adjacent loop of bowel activity interfered with accurate measurements of the appendix SUVmax, the scan was excluded from the analysis. A chart review was performed on patients with elevated appendiceal SUVmax values to ensure that the patients did not have clinical symptomatology suggestive of acute appendicitis. When the appendix or a portion of the appendix could be visualized and accurately measured, the SUVmax was determined. SUVmax of the appendix was compared to the SUVmax of normal liver and ratios were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 128 scans were reviewed, patient ages 1 month to 21 years (mean age: 11.6 years). Thirty-one scans were excluded because of inability to visualize the appendix on CT. No scans were excluded for appendiceal/periappendiceal pathology on CT or chart review. No scans had to be excluded for inability to obtain an accurate SUVmax measurement because measurements were calculated on portions of the appendix separate from adjacent bowel using small ROIs. Maximum appendiceal SUVs ranged from 0.5 to 9.4 (mean: 2.2) with an appendix-to-liver background ratio ranging from 0.3 to 3.1 (mean: 1.1). CONCLUSION: FDG uptake in the appendix is typically similar to that of background activity. However, slight variations in appendiceal FDG uptake do occur, which should not be misinterpreted as pathological.

Violating traditional NPO guidelines with PO contrast before sedation for computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: Administration of PO contrast within 2 hours before sedation for abdominal computed tomography (CT) is controversial because it violates American Society of Anesthesiologists guidelines that recommend 2 hours of fasting for clear fluids before sedation. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to review the administration of PO contrast for patients undergoing propofol sedation for abdominal CT and to evaluate the impact of violation of traditional 2-hour NPO guidelines on care. METHODS: Sedation records were reviewed from January 2010 to October 2011 from all patients who received PO contrast within 2 hours of propofol sedation for abdominal CT. A control group of patients receiving intravenous contrast only before propofol sedation and abdominal CT was reviewed. Demographics, time between PO contrast administration and sedation, and amount of PO contrast were recorded. Outcome measures including success of sedation and adverse events (vomiting, suctioning, use of O2 or advanced airway, unplanned admissions) were recorded. RESULTS: Eighty-five patients received PO contrast within 2 hours before sedation for abdominal CT; 21 controls were identified. No differences in demographics or outcome measures were seen. No significant differences were seen in rates of interventions or adverse outcomes between groups. Median time between the successive PO contrast doses and propofol administration was 1.6 hours and 0.6 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Administering oral contrast material within 2 hours of propofol sedation for abdominal CT in children seems to be relatively safe compared with those sedated after traditional NPO time frames.

Normal conus medullaris FDG uptake in children.

BACKGROUND: The biodistribution of 18F-FDG has been well described in both adults and children. Many findings are limited to children and warrant understanding prior to interpretation. OBJECTIVE: To determine the normal level of conus medullaris uptake, not previously reported in the literature to date, in a series of consecutive FDG PET/CT scans performed in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: With IRB approval, we retrospectively reviewed 100 consecutive whole-body pediatric 18F-FDG PET/CT examinations obtained for various clinical indications. Scans that showed visible uptake of FDG at the conus were objectively evaluated, and standardized uptake value (SUV) was determined. Maximum SUV of the conus was compared to background, normal liver and lung, and ratios were recorded. Pathology in the conus was excluded. RESULTS: The scans of 100 patients ages 5 months to 24 years (mean 11.7 years) were reviewed. Three patients were excluded. Seventy percent showed uptake at the conus medullaris. SUVs ranged from 1.33 to 4.2 (mean 2.14). CONCLUSION: Low-level 18F-FDG uptake is common in the conus medullaris, represents normal distribution in children and should not be interpreted as metastatic disease to the CNS.

Fibrocartilaginous mesenchymoma, a unique osseous lesion: case report with review of the literature.

Fibrocartilaginous mesenchymoma is a rare osseous tumor that primarily arises in the long bones of children and adolescents. This lesion can grow quickly and reach a considerable size, despite its benign nature. It has proved challenging to diagnose and can be mistaken for a spectrum of benign and malignant bone tumors. The histological presentation of unique epiphyseal plate-like cartilage with destruction of the surrounding cortical bone and exhibition of dense fibrous stroma are important indicators for the diagnosis of fibrocartilaginous mesenchymoma. An 11-year-old boy presented with a left proximal humerus mass thought to be an aneurysmal bone cyst. The patient was lost to follow-up and came back 3 years later with massive growth of the lesion. Owing to the aggressive nature of the tumor, a left forequarter amputation was performed. Histological examination demonstrated numerous islands of cartilage with an exuberant spindle cell component characteristic of FCM. No distant metastases or local recurrences were identified at 2 years post-amputation. Because of the rapid growth of this lesion, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of bone lesions in children and young adults.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm presenting as a subcutaneous mass in an 8-year-old boy.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (also referred to as CD4+/CD56+ hematodermic neoplasm) is a rare hematological malignancy typically seen in older adults. The disease presents with nonspecific cutaneous lesions and advances toward a fatal leukemic phase despite an often favorable initial response to chemotherapy. Fewer than 200 cases have been documented, and it is exceedingly rare in children. We report a case of histopathologically proven blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm arising in an otherwise healthy and asymptomatic 8-year-old boy who noticed a painless mass within the subcutaneous tissues below the left calf. In addition to contrast-enhanced MRI, the imaging work-up included PET/CT, which showed metastatic involvement within left inguinal and retroperitoneal lymph nodes. The case is notable both for the young age of the patient and for the absence of characteristic cutaneous manifestations of this disease.

Role of PET/CT in congenital histiocytosis.

Congenital Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare, but often severe, form of LCH. Although a more benign single-system congenital LCH has been described, most cases present as multisystem disease with poorer prognosis and are often treated with systemic chemotherapy. Imaging plays a central role in diagnosis, initial staging and assessment of treatment response. PET/CT is increasingly utilized for pediatric LCH. We report a unique case with PET/CT used as an imaging tool in staging and evaluating treatment response in congenital multisystem LCH.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Antenatal Hydronephrosis-Infant.

Antenatal hydronephrosis is the most frequent urinary tract anomaly detected on prenatal ultrasonography. It occurs approximately twice as often in males as in females. Most antenatal hydronephrosis is transient with little long-term significance, and few children with antenatal hydronephrosis will have significant obstruction, develop symptoms or complications, and require surgery. Some children will be diagnosed with more serious conditions, such as posterior urethral valves. Early detection of obstructive uropathy is necessary to mitigate the potential morbidity from loss of renal function. Imaging is an integral part of screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of children with antenatal hydronephrosis. Optimal timing and appropriate use of imaging can reduce the incidence of late diagnoses and prevent renal scarring and other complications. In general, follow-up neonatal ultrasound is recommended for all cases of antenatal hydronephrosis, while further imaging, including voiding cystourethrography and nuclear scintigraphy, is recommended for moderate or severe cases, or when renal parenchymal or bladder wall abnormalities are suspected. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer reviewed journals and the application of well-established methodologies (RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where evidence is lacking or equivocal, expert opinion may supplement the available evidence to recommend imaging or treatment.

What physicians think about the need for informed consent for communicating the risk of cancer from low-dose radiation.

BACKGROUND: The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a subsidiary of the Food and Drug Administration, has declared that X-ray radiation at low doses is a human carcinogen. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to determine if informed consent should be obtained for communicating the risk of radiation-induced cancer from radiation-based imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval was obtained for the prospective survey of 456 physicians affiliated with three tertiary hospitals by means of a written questionnaire. Physicians were asked to state their subspecialty, number of years in practice, frequency of referral for CT scanning, level of awareness about the risk of radiation-induced cancer associated with CT, knowledge of whether such information is provided to patients undergoing CT, and opinions about the need for obtaining informed consent as well as who should provide information about the radiation-induced cancer risk to patients. Physicians were also asked to specify their preference among different formats of informed consent for communicating the potential risk of radiation-induced cancer. Statistical analyses were performed using the chi-squared test. RESULTS: Most physicians stated that informed consent should be obtained from patients undergoing radiation-based imaging (71.3%, 325/456) and the radiology department should provide information about the risk of radiation-induced cancer to these patients (54.6%, 249/456). The informed consent format that most physicians agreed with included modifications to the National Institute of Environmental Health Services report on cancer risk from low-dose radiation (20.2%, 92/456) or included information on the risk of cancer from background radiation compared to that from low-dose radiation (39.5%, 180/456). CONCLUSION: Most physicians do not know if patients are informed about cancer risk from radiation-based imaging in their institutions. However, they believe that informed consent for communicating the risk of radiation-induced cancer should be obtained from patients undergoing radiation-based imaging.

Procedural Sedation Outside the Operating Room and Potential Neurotoxicity: Analysis of an At-Risk Pediatric Population.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the characteristics of children who met the risk criteria for potential neurotoxicity defined by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA; 2016 warning) in a procedural sedation (PS) service. STUDY DESIGN: A single-center retrospective review of all infants and children aged <3 years receiving PS outside the operating room from 2014 to 2016. Demographics, duration of, and the reason for PS were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 2950 patients with 3653 sedation encounters were included. Median age was 19 (range, 11-26) months. Most PS (86.4%) were for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The median number of sedation procedures per patient was 1 (25th-75th: 1-7), and median duration of sedation was 72 minutes (25th-75th: 55-98 minutes). Forty patients (1.4%) required prolonged sedations >3 hours, in a single encounter (median, [25th-75th] of 196 minutes [185-214 minutes]), and 298 patients (10.1%) had multiple sedation exposures during the study period. Overall, 327 patients, 11.1% (95% confidence interval, 10.0%-12.3%) required repeated and/or prolonged sedation. The most common reasons for repeated or prolonged sedation were MRI of the brain and neurologic concerns. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple and prolonged PS commonly occurs outside the operating room in this young and potentially vulnerable population. Although certain imaging cannot be avoided, other cases may have the potential to be delayed until the child is >3 years old or to have alternate imaging that may not require prolonged PS. Family and provider awareness of the FDA warnings regarding potential neurotoxicity of sedation in all settings, both inside and outside the operating room, is critical.

Brown fat necrosis with calcifications in the newborn: Risk factors, radiographic findings, and clinical course.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the radiographic appearance of subclinical calcified brown fat necrosis and the associated clinical and laboratory findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Picture Archiving and Communications Sytem (PACS) was searched using keywords "soft tissue calcification" and "chest." The clinical record was searched for prior cardiac surgery, bypass, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygentation (ECMO) and prostaglandin use. Age when calcifications were first detected, location, resolution, and associated laboratory abnormalities were recorded. RESULTS: Nine patients were identified. None had skin lesions. All patients had congenital heart disease and had experienced cardiac/respiratory arrest and/or severe hypotension 1-6 weeks before soft tissue calcifications occurred. Calcifications resolved by 9 weeks to 5 months in 3 patients. The remaining were either deceased or lacked follow-up imaging. Renal ultrasound was performed in all but 1 patient. Nephrocalcinosis was only seen in 1 patient. CONCLUSION: Brown fat necrosis is subclinical, diagnosed on plain film, and likely self-limited. It occurs in term and preterm infants who have undergone significant systemic stress and carries a poor prognosis.