ABR Pediatric Radiology study guide
ABR Pediatric Radiology · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
This page is an independent study resource for radiologists preparing for the ABR Pediatric Radiology Subspecialty Examination, the subspecialty certification pathway for physicians who interpret imaging in infants, children, and adolescents. The credential is part of the ABR's broader certification system, whose stated mission is to certify that diplomates demonstrate the requisite knowledge, skill, and understanding of their disciplines to the benefit of patients. The ABR Pediatric Radiology study guide has 5 sections and about 2,026 words.
01Pediatric Neuroradiology
Neonatal and pediatric neuroimaging rests on knowing the timetable of normal myelination, because the immature brain changes signal dramatically in the first two years. On T1-weighted images, myelin appears bright: the posterior limb of the internal capsule is normally bright by term, the splenium by about 4 months, and the genu by about 8 months.
314 words, about 2 min02Pediatric Thoracic and Cardiovascular Imaging
Pediatric chest imaging begins with the differences between the neonatal and adult chest. The thymus is normally large and can mimic a mass: the spinnaker sail sign, wave sign, and notched contour are normal.
308 words, about 2 min03Pediatric Abdominal and Pelvic Imaging
Pediatric abdominal imaging is dominated by age-specific diagnoses and by knowing which study is urgent. Bilious vomiting in a neonate is malrotation with volvulus until excluded; obtain an upper gastrointestinal series, not a barium enema, and remember that a normal plain film does not exclude malrotation.
299 words, about 1 min04Pediatric Musculoskeletal Imaging
Pediatric musculoskeletal imaging requires familiarity with normal growth and with fracture patterns unique to children. The physis is the weak link, so Salter-Harris injuries are common; type I may be radiographically normal and is suspected clinically or by MRI.
296 words, about 1 min05Pediatric Interventional Radiology
Pediatric interventional radiology emphasizes minimally invasive therapy with attention to small patient size, sedation, and radiation dose. Common procedures include image-guided central venous access (PICC and tunneled catheters), gastrostomy and gastrojejunostomy tube placement, abscess and fluid drainage, biopsy, sclerotherapy of lymphatic and venous malformations, embolization for trauma or gastrointestinal bleeding, and foreign body retrieval.
809 words, about 4 min