Midbrain and hindbrain malformations comprise a heterogeneous group of developmental disorders with overlapping clinical and imaging features that can pose diagnostic challenges in the fetal and perinatal periods. While some of these malformations are associated with favorable outcomes, others are indicative of poor viability. Accurate and comprehensive imaging evaluation is critical to guide prognostication and optimize perinatal management. This pictorial review illustrates the prenatal and postnatal imaging spectrum of these uncommon disorders and highlights characteristic findings that facilitate diagnosis and differentiation. Representative cases include diencephalic-mesencephalic junction dysplasia, Möbius sequence, rhombencephalosynapsis, microcephaly with disproportionate cerebellar and brainstem hypoplasia syndrome, Walker-Warburg syndrome, Joubert syndrome–related disorders, horizontal gaze palsy with progressive scoliosis, pontine tegmental cap dysplasia, medullary malformations, pontocerebellar hypoplasia, and cerebellar hemisphere hypoplasia, organized based on a previously proposed classification system.
Pediatric fracture detection on plain radiographs can be challenging, and missed fractures can have important clinical consequences. Artificial intelligence has been increasingly investigated as a tool to support fracture detection in children. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of artificial intelligence models for detecting appendicular fractures on pediatric radiographs. A comprehensive literature search was conducted from inception through February 1, 2026. Studies evaluating AI models for detecting appendicular fractures in pediatric populations using plain radiographs were included. Pooled sensitivities and specificities were calculated using bivariate random-effects meta-analysis, and subgroup analyses were performed based on anatomical site, unit of analysis, and comparator type. Sixteen studies were included. Pooled sensitivity and specificity for standalone AI models were 92.0
Paediatric portal vein reference values are derived almost exclusively from ultrasound, which systematically yields smaller measurements than CT. CT-specific normative data for children are limited to a single study that did not include multiplanar reformation (MPR) measurements, splenic vein data, or comprehensive anthropometric analysis. To establish CT-based reference values for the portal venous system in children and adolescents, including both axial and MPR measurements of the main portal vein, and to characterize the systematic discrepancy between the two measurement methods. In this single-centre retrospective study, 1,101 children aged 0–17 years who underwent contrast-enhanced abdominal CT between January 2018 and April 2026 were included after applying strict exclusion criteria. Main portal vein (axial and MPR), right portal vein, left portal vein, and splenic vein diameters were measured independently by two radiologists. Age- and body surface area-stratified reference values were generated using locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (LOESS). MPR measurements exceeded axial measurements in all 1,101 subjects (mean difference 1.2±0.9 mm; proportional bias r=0.523, P<0.001). Age showed the strongest correlation with main portal vein diameter (ρ=0.894). Sex-based differences emerged exclusively in subjects aged ≥13 years (all P≤0.006). The splenic-to-main portal vein ratio remained relatively stable across the paediatric age spectrum (coefficient of variation 8.2
The aim was to analyse the morphological characteristics of the sphenoid sinus in the paediatric population and the possible effects of sex and age on the prevalence of pneumatization. Patients in the 0-16 age group were determined as the paediatric group, and patients 16+ years of age were determined as the control group. Sphenoid sinus measurements and pneumatization classification were performed by two maxillofacial radiologists. Sphenoid sinus pneumatizations are divided into three groups: sellar, clival, and lateral. Types of right lateral pneumatization show significant differences between age groups (P=0.023). Lat-D type was significantly more prevalent in control group, while Lat-B type was observed only in the paediatric group. Like the right side, left lateral pneumatization types also showed statistically significant differences between age groups (P=0.013). Lat-D type is significantly more common in control group, while Lat-C is more frequently observed in the paediatric group. In terms of symmetry, there is a borderline significant difference between age groups (P≈0.05). While the height of the sphenoid sinus exhibited a weak positive correlation with the length of the optic chiasm (R=0.273, P<0.001), the anteroposterior length and width of the sphenoid sinus both demonstrated moderate positive correlations with the intercarotid distance (R=0.333 and R=0.435, P<0.001). Lateral pneumatization type showed significant age-related changes. Optic chiasm length correlated with sphenoid sinus height, while intercarotid distance correlated with both sphenoid sinus anteroposterior length and width.
Children and adults with Fontan circulation are vulnerable to reduced skeletal muscle mass because of altered Fontan physiology, exercise limitation, nutritional challenges, and chronic liver disease. Abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed for Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD) surveillance provides an opportunity to assess muscle mass without additional imaging. To determine the frequency of imaging-defined low skeletal muscle mass on clinically acquired abdominal MRI examinations in children and adults with Fontan circulation and, secondarily, to explore associations with available clinical and imaging markers related to FALD. This single-center, retrospective, cross-sectional study included individuals with Fontan circulation who underwent abdominal MRI for FALD surveillance. Pediatric total psoas area and adult total skeletal muscle index were measured using age-appropriate published approaches and analyzed separately. Continuous variables were summarized with medians and interquartile ranges and explored using Spearman correlations and Mann-Whitney U tests. Sparse cardiac and outcome data were treated descriptively. The study included 124 individuals (78 male; 63
