Anatomical considerations in the toddler critical to pediatric radiologic diagnosis

The effects of injury and disease on the growing child are uniquely dependant on the stage of growth of the child. The immature respiratory, gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal systems expose particular vulnerabilities to external insult. However, these systems also show wide ranges of normal variation radiologically as the toddler grows. The growing skeleton is especially susceptible to injury. Injury patterns unique to the child often point to the mechanism of injury, and can even suggest child abuse. Metabolic, infectious, and inflammatory disease also affect the growing skeleton differently than the mature skeleton. As function follows form, the types and severity of respiratory and gastrointestinal illness in a child are often directly related to anatomical relationships and the resultant physiology Knowledge of the anatomical growth patterns in the toddler is critical for accurate radiological diagnosis.