Ultrasound screening for cervical, abdominal and scrotal malignant and benign abnormalities in children.

Introduction: Ultrasonography plays an important role in evaluation of many diseases in the pediatric population. The noninvasiveness of the method allows for its wide use in children. It is a first-line diagnostic test for detecting lymphadenopathy, benign and malignant abnormalities of the thyroid gland, abdominal structures or testes in boys. The ultrasound screening program "No to Cancer in Children" was introduced to detect neoplastic lesions and possible developmental disorders in children with no symptoms to allow early diagnosis. Material and methods: The children were scanned in a special mobile ambulance - a Ronald McDonald Care Mobile - equipped with two high-tech ultrasound devices. Ultrasound scans, including cervical, abdominal, pelvic and scrotal ultrasound, were performed in the population of asymptomatic children. In the years 2006-2019, 67 594 children, 34 892 boys and 32 702 girls aged from 9 months to 6 years were examined. Results: In total, 18 544 various abnormalities were detected. In the case of the neck they were found in 7542 children, which represent nearly 11.2% of all patients. Changes in abdominal and urinary tract ultrasound were found in 4528 cases (6.65%). Abnormalities of the male reproductive system were detected in 6 474 boys (18.5%). Twelve tumors were detected. Conclusions: Screening has proved to be very useful for the early identification cancerous as well as precancerous lesions. It is also worth continuing for effective detection of other childhood anomalies.