The majority of children’s hospitals reside in urban settings, and the most common animal related injuries seen in these areas are induced by cats or dogs. However, urban medical centers serve patients from large surrounding rural areas where a more diverse array of animal or agriculture related injuries can occur. Although an altercation with an angry horse, pig, or cow could result in severe trauma in adults, animal related injuries pose an even greater danger to children given their smaller stature and growing bodies. The natural curiosity of children also increases the risk of severe injury when living or playing around industrial agricultural equipment. Even partaking in outdoor sports or leisure activities confers risk for exposure to a variety of injury mechanisms. Depending on the specifics of the surrounding ecosystem, radiologists may also care for patients exposed to envenomation from snakes, scorpions, spiders, and various other insects, resulting in local or systemic complications. When incorporating a mechanism of injury, radiologists may anticipate complications of exposure to these animals or insects and can recommend further imaging evaluation. For example, in addition to characterizing imaging findings, such as local necrosis, from a brown recluse bite injury in a patient transferred from an outlying hospital, the radiologist would anticipate the urgency with which to assess for more systemic complications such as angioedema, rhabdomyolysis, or internal hemorrhage due to disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. To best serve our patients, pediatric radiologists should exhibit familiarity with possible mechanisms of injury related to wildlife, their various imaging manifestations, and potential complications in order to help guide clinicians in managing these potentially devastating injuries. This educational exhibit aims to demonstrate key findings of such pediatric injuries through a series of cases. Read More

Meeting name: SPR 2025 Annual Meeting , 2025

Authors: Jordan Kathryn, Killerby Marie, Patel Arjun, Cassella Katharyn, Greene Elton, Johnstone Lindsey, Leschied Jessica

Keywords: Pediatric Trauma, Image Findings, Emergency/Acute

Spinal cord lipomas are rare benign tumors of adipose tissue that have a range of presentations and management based on size, location, and embryogenesis. Importantly, the intradural lipomatous tissue can act as a tethering lesion placing the cord at risk of vascular compromise, particularly during periods of growth. Since spinal lipomas cause progressive disease and symptoms, early recognition and treatment in the pediatric population is beneficial. Neurosurgical literature supports further classification of spinal lipomas as dorsal, transitional, terminal, and chaotic based on location and imaging features for risk stratification, surgical planning, and prognostication. Although categorization for the purpose of guiding surgical management is based on imaging features, there currently is lack of representation of this classification system for spinal cord lipomas in the radiology literature. The aim of this exhibit is to educate pediatric radiologists about this classification system for spinal cord lipomas. Relevant anatomy and embryogenesis will be reviewed, and case-based examples will be used to illustrate relevant imaging features of each type of spinal lipoma. Findings impacting surgical planning and prognosis will be specifically highlighted. Read More

Meeting name: SPR 2024 Annual Meeting & Postgraduate Course , 2024

Authors: Park Seungweon, Sarma Asha, Dewan Michael, Leschied Jessica, Greene Elton, Pruthi Sumit, Martin Dann, Foust Alexandra

Keywords: spinal lipoma, embryogenesis, neuroradiology