Abstract
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a noninvasive tool that is often used in
conjunction with conventional MR imaging to acquire information regarding the biochemistry
of tissue. In pediatric patients, the traditional clinical application of MRS was
in the preoperative diagnostic workup of brain tumors. In recent years with the boom
of molecular testing, MRS application for tumor evaluation is becoming more advanced,
now potentially serving as a biomarker for molecular subgroup classification. This
article will review MRS techniques as well as clinical applications, both conventional
and more advanced applications in the pediatric population including tumor assessment,
hypoxic-ischemic injury, abusive head injury, and autism.
Keywords
MR spectroscopy - pediatric brain tumors - hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy - abusive
head injury - autism
