An updated estimate of the body dimensions of US children.

Anthropometric data from children are important for product design and the promulgation of safety standards. The last major detailed study of child anthropometry in the USA was conducted more than 30 years ago. Subsequent demographic changes and the increased prevalence of overweight and obesity render those data increasingly obsolete. A new, large-scale anthropometric survey is needed. As an interim step, a new anthropometric synthesis technique was used to create a virtual population of modern children, each described by 84 anthropometric measures. A subset of these data was validated against limited modern data. Comparisons with data from the 1970s showed significant changes in measures of width and circumference of the torso, arms and legs. Measures of length and measurements of the head, face, hands and feet exhibited little change. The new virtual population provides guidance for a comprehensive child anthropometry survey and could improve safety and accommodation in product design. Practitioner Summary: This research reviews the inadequacies of available sources of US child anthropometry as a result of the rise in the rates of overweight and obesity. A new synthesised database of detailed modern child anthropometry was created and validated. The results quantify changes in US child body dimensions since the 1970s.

Spending an Evening in the Dark: The Radiology Medical Student Call Experience.

The level of independent decision-making required of a radiology resident, as well as the acuity of studies populating the worklist, differ between the normal workday and a call shift. However, unlike clerkships where call is standard, medical students in radiology typically only have half of the true resident experience. To expose our rotating medical students to what a future career in radiology might actually look like, we implemented a required call shift as part of our medical student curriculum. All rotating third- and fourth-year medical students were assigned a single 3-hour short call shift alongside a radiology resident during the final week of their rotation. Following this shift, students answered questions via anonymous online survey regarding their perceptions of radiology (primary end point) as well as workload and role of radiology in the clinical care of patients (secondary end points). Following medical student call, 63% of students reported a more positive view of radiology as a career. Additionally, 57% felt that radiology residents work as much or more than other specialties while one call, and several students identified communication issues regarding indications or appropriateness of studies. While we hope that this overwhelmingly positive experience will draw more students into radiology as a career, we also believe that many participating medical students will benefit from a greater understanding of what a radiologist׳s job entails, as well as how this may be affected by communication issues or increased utilization of imaging.

Thymic Epidermoid Cyst: Clinical and Imaging Manifestations of This Rare Anterior Mediastinal Mass.

Thymic epidermoid cysts are an extremely rare entity. These arise from epidermal cells that migrate to the thymus. The radiologic diagnosis of this rare lesion is challenging. We describe a case of an otherwise healthy 35-year-old woman who presented with an acute onset of chest pain and shortness of breath. She was found to have an anterior mediastinal mass. The imaging findings were, however, not characteristic for any single diagnostic entity. Since the imaging was inconclusive, surgical resection was performed for definitive diagnosis. The mass was found to be a thymic epidermoid cyst. This case underlines the significance for radiologists to be aware that epidermoid cysts can occur in the thymus and should be considered in the differential diagnosis for a heterogeneous anterior mediastinal mass.