Pitfalls in susceptibility-weighted imaging of the pediatric brain

Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) is a recently developed high resolution 3-dimensional gradient-echo pulse sequence that accentuates the magnetic susceptibility of blood, calcium, and nonheme iron. The clinical applications of SWI in pediatric neuroimaging have significantly expanded recently. Potential pitfalls related to blood oxygenation, blood flow, magnetic field strength, and misinterpretation of localization as well as possible mimickers may be misleading and affect the correct interpretation of SWI images. Familiarity with these potential diagnostic pitfalls is important to prevent misdiagnosis and will further enhance the ability of SWI in becoming a robust and reliable technique.