Thoracic MRI Imaging in Children
Condition: Pulmonary Disease
MeSH terms: Lung Diseases
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The aim of this study is to compare a new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)protocol, including
      a new MRI sequence for visualization of lung parenchyma, to computed tomography as the gold
      standard for the evaluation of thoracic region in children.
    

Detailed description: 
      The potential effects of ionizing radiation are of particular concern in children. Exposure
      to ionizing radiation of medical origin is responsible for an increased risk of brain tumors
      and hematopoietic lineage in children. It is therefore necessary to find alternative to the
      use of irradiating imaging examinations. Currently, computed tomography (CT) is the gold
      standard in the study of lung diseases and is used in children deepening of standard
      radiography in acute or chronic situations, sometimes requiring iterative controls. Chest CT
      delivers a radiation dose equivalent to up to 500 days of natural exposure. Moreover, for the
      analysis of mediastinal and vascular structures it requires an intravenous injection of
      iodinated contrast, potentially source of nephrotoxicity and anaphylactic reactions.
      Recently, new developments in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) have shown interest in the
      study of lung diseases when they are responsible for filling of aeric structures (mucoid
      impaction in cystic fibrosis, alveolar filling in infectious process and tumor) and in the
      analysis of vascular and mediastinal structures and heart. However, the aerated lung
      presenting a very low density of protons, and MRI being particularly sensitive to artifacts
      from cardiac and respiratory movements, sequences currently used in MRI remain insufficient
      in the analysis of pulmonary structures and pathologic conditions not filling aeric spaces
      (bronchial, cystic, emphysematous or interstitial diseases). The aim of this study is to test
      in clinical practice, a new MRI sequence for visualizing lung parenchyma, 3D zero Time Echo
      (Advanced ZTE) and to propose a protocol combining several MRI sequences without injection as
      an alternative to chest CT with or without contrast medium injection in childhood.

      The proposed hypotheses are :

        1. MRI sequence Advanced ZTE allows visualization of normal and pathological lung
           parenchymal structures.

        2. A complete MRI protocol, without injection, including this sequence to those already
           used in clinical practice could replace the enhanced CT in most pediatric indications.

      The principal objective of the study is to evaluate the Advanced ZTE sequence in the
      visualization of lung parenchyma structures in comparison to CT scan in lung window as gold
      standard.
    

Intervention name(s): MRI sequence Advanced ZTE
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): Evaluation of the image quality in terms of visualization of anatomical structures of the lung parenchyma in safe zone by a new imaging method of the pulmonary parenchyma by MRI (Advanced ZTE sequence).
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Diagnostic
Keywords: pulmonary; parenchyma; MRI sequence Advanced ZTE; chest computed tomography