Respiratory Distress in Neonates: Underlying Causes and Current Imaging Assessment

Abstract

The imaging evaluation of the neonate in respiratory distress has been described since the most early days of pediatric radiology but advances in diagnosis and treatment have changed the patient population presenting with these conditions and altered the imaging findings. In this article, the range of conditions that cause neonatal respiratory distress is depicted, including congenital lung malformations and lung disease in both preterm and full-term infants. An updated approach to the imaging of these conditions is reviewed, with a focus on changes that have resulted from advances in treatment and diagnosis.

Keywords: Congenital lung malformations; Full-term; Neonatal; Preterm; Pulmonary; Respiratory distress.