[Imaging children - what is special?].

As children are not small adults, imaging evaluation needs to be adapted to their special features and diseases. This article discusses the imaging strategy for typical paediatric pathologies of the brain and skull, spinal cord and spine, chest, abdomen and musculoskeletal system. The most important consideration when imaging children is to optimise and reduce unnecessary or unnecessarily high radiation exposure. Whenever available, a radiation free imaging modality should be chosen. Ultrasound is considered the primary examination method in many circumstances and often reveals sufficient information. For advanced imaging of the abdomen, brain or musculoskeletal system, magnetic resonance imaging should be preferred over computed tomography (CT). Conventional radiographs remain the primary imaging modality for evaluation of the chest and bones. CT should be reserved for further evaluation of the lungs and airways, or for the emergent investigation of a major head injury or polytrauma. Every imaging study with ionising radiation requires a justifying medical indication. Radiography, fluoroscopy and CT should be performed on optimised equipment using special paediatric protocols in order to achieve a radiation exposure as low as possible.