Publications by authors named "Jennifer A Vaughn"

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) is an aggressive, malignant embryonal tumor with dismal long-term survival despite aggressive multimodal therapy. While this tumor typically presents in infancy or early childhood, there are published case reports of adult-onset ATRT. Making prognostic conclusions or therapeutic decisions for this older patient population remains challenging due to the paucity of these reports.

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Article Synopsis
  • Clinical clearance of a child's cervical spine after trauma is difficult due to unreliable neurologic exams; LSMRI may help by providing a quicker, anesthesia-free alternative to standard MRI for detecting ligamentous injuries.
  • A study conducted over five years across 10 centers evaluated 2,663 children and found that LSMRI had a sensitivity and negative predictive value of over 99% for detecting cervical spine injuries and 100% for unstable injuries.
  • The findings support the use of limited-sequence MRI to effectively rule out significant injuries, suggesting that trauma centers implement LSMRI protocols to reduce the need for anesthesia and MRI times.
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There is a wide variety of disease entities in children, which can present with cervical adenopathy. The spectrum of pathology and imaging appearance differs in many cases from that seen in adults. This review aims to compare the strengths and limitations of the various imaging modalities available to image pediatric patients presenting with cervical adenopathy, provide guidance on when to image, and highlight the imaging appearance of both common and uncommon disorders affecting the cervical nodes in children to aid the radiologist in their clinical practice.

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Imaging plays an important role in evaluating patients with suspected intrauterine and perinatal infections. Advances in fetal imaging including both ultrasound and MRI allow for increasingly more specific diagnosis if the radiologist is familiar with specific imaging features and patterns. Early imaging of neonates with suspected central nervous system infection is valuable to enable prompt treatment and differentiate infection from other conditions which can clinically present similarly.

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Hairy polyps are benign lesions found in the oropharynx or nasopharynx that are thought to be present at birth and can lead to upper airway obstruction in infants. Also known as naso-oropharyngeal choristoma, they are increasingly viewed as aggregates of bigeminal tissue, likely from the first or second branchial arches, found in aberrant locations. They are benign lesions that are usually successfully treated by surgical excision.

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