Non-Invasive Evaluation of Ventilation Response in Pediatric Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Pneumonia with Phase Resolved Lung MRI

Motivation: Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) in children leads to varied respiratory impairments, but standard clinical methods often miss key functional changes. Goal(s): To assess Phase Resolved Functional Lung (PREFUL) MRI as a tool for visualizing and quantifying ventilation defects in pediatric MPP. Approach: Using PREFUL MRI, we measured Ventilation Defect Percentage (VDP) and Ventilation Time to Peak (V-TTP) in 53 patients, examining their relationship with disease severity and treatment effects. Results: PREFUL MRI identified distinct spatial distributions of VDP and V-TTP correlating with MPP severity, and demonstrated the sensitivity of VDP to ventilation changes, decreasing by approximately 32.1% post-treatment. Impact: This study shows that PREFUL MRI can capture ventilation changes in children with MPP. It provides a non-invasive way to assess disease severity and monitor treatment response. This approach could improve clinical decisions and outcomes in pediatric respiratory care.