A Pediatric Radiology textbook and Pediatric Radiology digital library
Leukemia
Etiology: hematological neoplasm caused by overproduction of immature (blasts) or abnormally differentiated cells of hematopoietic system in bone marrow that often extends into peripheral blood
Imaging chest: — Mediastinal mass
Imaging gastrointestinal: — Hepatosplenomegaly due to diffuse infiltration of liver and spleen by leukemic cells
Imaging spine: — Radiograph: diffuse osteopenia, loss of vertebral body height (vertebra plana) — MRI: diffuse T1 hypointense / T2 hyperintense signal with contrast enhancement (vertebral body marrow should be brighter than the disc on T1), adjacent soft tissue / leptomeningeal disease
Clinical: hepatosplenomegaly common at presentation of acute lymphocytic leukemia
Cases of Leukemia
Lateral radiograph of the thoracic spine shows diffuse osteopenia in the vertebral bodies with loss of height (vertebra plana) in all of the vertebral bodies.AXR shows diffuse enlargement of the liver and spleen.CXR AP+lateral shows a large anterior mediastinal mass centered in the region of the thymus.