Paediatric ultrasound. Part 2: Other applications

This article focuses on small-parts US in children. The differential diagnosis of cystic neck masses primarily includes lymphangiomas, thyreoglossal duct cysts and branchial cleft cysts. Solid masses may be represented from lymphadenopathies, cervical extensions of mediastinal thymus, fibromatosis colli, rhabdomyosarcomas and neuroblastomas. Salivary gland lesions are uncommon in children. Thyroid is best evaluated by US and nuclear scintigraphy. If US shows abnormal thyroid gland, the isotopic scan may be a good complementary method to confirm the diagnosis. Normal parathyroid glands are not visualised routinely by US because of their small size. Parathyroid adenomas are unusual in paediatrics. Ultrasound can be successfully used in the differential diagnosis of the painful scrotum especially with colour flow Doppler. The hallmark of ischaemia is a completely avascular testis. In the paediatric age group, the most common application of US to the musculoskeletal system is the evaluation of the infant hip in the first 6 months of life; however, the refinement of new transducers has further improved the ability of US equipment to evaluate a variety of other musculoskeletal disorders in children, involving tendons, muscles, nerves as well as soft tissue masses. Ultrasound can be a useful screening tool in newborns suspected of having closed spinal dysraphism.