Susceptibility-weighted imaging in pediatric neuroimaging

Abstract

Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) has become a key MR sequence in pediatric neuroimaging. The usage of SWI has significantly expanded recently. The strength of SWI lies not just in its ability to identify hemorrhage, calcium or nonheme iron by virtue of its susceptibility artifact, but also more importantly, the blood oxygen level dependent venography principle whereby several diseases can be diagnosed earlier. We are continuing to harness the power of SWI in the field of pediatric neuroimaging. In this paper, we will make a comprehensive review and discuss the utility of SWI in pediatric neuroimaging in establishing the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and also understanding the pathomechanism of various pediatric brain pathologies. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.