Usefulness of the computed tomography and magnetic resonance in evaluation of progress of treatment of the neoplasmatic diseases in children

BACKGROUND: Neoplastmatic diseases constitute about 1% diseases in children in Poland, what makes about 1200 new incidents during one year. Fast diagnosis in those illnesses is crucial in treatment results. The point of this work was to value usefulness of CT and MRI in diagnostics of neoplasmatic diseases in children. MATERIAL/METHODS: The retrospective study involved 121 children examined in CT and MRI because of suspicion or during treatment of neoplasmatic disease. Together 184 CT and 119 MRI examination were performed. Eventually in 106 children neoplasmatic disease was diagnosed. In 16 cases neoplasm was excluded. RESULTS: In the analyzed group of patients acute lymphoblastic and non lymphoblastic leukemia was diagnosed in 68 children (55.7%); among them mycosis was identified after radiological examinations in 7 cases (10.3%). 8 children (6.6%) with non Hodgkin lymphoma and 11 (9%) with Hodgkin lymphoma were examined. Nephroblastoma was found after MRI and CT in 6 cases (4.9%). Presence of tumors, that were classified histopatologically as PNET, was confirmed in 4 children. In 15 cases after MRI and CT neoplasmatic disease was excluded. CONCLUSIONS: Depending on the kind of sickness MRI and CT may fulfill basic or subsidiary role in diagnostic and estimating the progress of treatment in neoplasmatic diseases among children.