Hepatic imaging in neonates and young infants: State of the art

Neonatal liver disease is an important source of morbidity in the pediatric population. The manifestation of liver disease in young infants may be different than in older patients, and there are a number of diagnoses that are unique to this age group. Familiarity with these entities is important as imaging plays a key role in the diagnostic workup, and prompt diagnosis is necessary to prevent complications. This article reviews the spectrum of liver pathologies that can manifest in the first 6 months of life and is intended to educate the general radiologist who may be faced with interpretation of neonatal liver imaging. Categories of disease that will be reviewed include cholestatic diseases, tumors, vascular anomalies, and acquired diseases. The authors will also review optimization of ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging of the liver and present a systematic method for interpretation of neonatal liver US findings in the context of clinical and laboratory findings.