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Pediatric radiology is an immensely rewarding career choice. Eight pediatric radiologists, enthusiastic for their profession, were asked six questions about their career choice. Their responses illustrate the common virtues of pediatric radiology and also demonstrate the diverse paths and activities that pediatric radiologists take and pursue.

Objective. The purpose of this paper is to present our experience with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections in immunocompetent children.Subjects and methods. Radiology, pathology, microbiology, and discharge records at two institutions identified the study population. Children who were immunocompromised and those with a positive skin test and no radiological or clinical evidence of active infection were excluded. Active mycobacterial infection was defined by a positive culture, biopsy, or a reactive purified protein-derivative skin test (PPD) with an appropriate clinical presentation and response to therapy and/or known exposure to an adult with active tuberculosis. Results. There were 22 children in whom Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTb) was identified. Fourteen of the patients with MTb were 5 years of age or younger. The most common sites of radiological involvement were the lungs (15 cases) and the hila (eight cases). Four patients had evidence of extrathoracic MTb infection. Three cases of miliary tuberculosis were identified, all in children less than 9 months of age. Conclusion. Although pulmonary and/or hilar disease remains the most common radiological presentation of childhood tuberculosis, the radiologist must be aware of the many radiological presentations of childhood Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, and should have a high index of suspicion with the increasing incidence in both normal and immunocompromised children.

Metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) imaging is used in the diagnosis, staging and follow-up of virtually every case of neuroblastoma seen at our institution. Normal sites of MIBG uptake include the liver and therefore difficulties have been predicted and encountered in the diagnosis of hepatic neuroblastoma due to inability to separate abnormally increased tracer deposition from normal hepatic activity. We reviewed every MIBG (I123 and I131) study performed at our pediatric hospital over a 4 year period encompassing 88 patients, 67 of whom had biopsy proven neuroblastoma. Hepatic findings onMIBG studies were compared with concurrent abdominal CT and US studies in all 67 patients. The clinical records of all patients with abnormal MIBG scans or abnormal CT or US studies of the liver were also reviewed. Eight patients were found to have abnormal liver findings on one or more imaging studies (MIBG, CT, or US). There were 3 true positive MIBG studies, one of which was an early study in a patient who later went on to have one of the false positive studies. Two patients had false positive MIBG scans for liver neuroblastoma. MIBG failed to detect liver involvement in 4 patients.