Imaging Fungal Infections in Children with Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): Ahmad Sarji S FRCR, Wan Abdullah WA MRCP, Wastie ML FRCR
Primary Institution: Department of Biomedical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya
Hypothesis
The study aims to examine the role of imaging in diagnosing and assessing fungal infections in pediatric patients undergoing chemotherapy in a facility with high fungal air contamination.
Conclusion
Imaging is important for monitoring treatment response and detecting complications in fungal infections, but it may not always provide a specific diagnosis due to non-specific changes.
Supporting Evidence
- Fungus was positively isolated in 11 out of 19 patients.
- The most common species isolated was Candida sp.
- Imaging findings were correlated with clinical findings.
- Two patients with clinical evidence of infection showed no abnormal findings on imaging.
Takeaway
Doctors used pictures of the inside of the body to help find out if kids with cancer had fungal infections, but sometimes the pictures didn't show clear signs of infection.
Methodology
Nineteen pediatric patients with various malignancies were referred for imaging, and findings from CT and chest radiographs were correlated with clinical findings.
Limitations
Diagnosis may be difficult through imaging due to non-specific changes and the presence of abnormalities from the underlying disease.
Participant Demographics
Patients aged five months to 12 years, primarily with leukemia.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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