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Cicero Torres Silva, MD

Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging
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Additional Titles

Chief, Pediatric Imaging

About

Titles

Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging

Chief, Pediatric Imaging

Biography

Cicero earned his Medical degree from the State University of Londrina, in Brazil, and completed his Radiology residency training in Sao Paulo, Brazil, at the Santa Marcelina Hospital. He undertook a 2-year fellowship in Pediatric Radiology at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, followed by another 2-year fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. He spent one year as a consultant Pediatric Radiologist at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and joined Yale School of Medicine in 2008, where he is currently a Professor in the department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, and the section chief for Pediatric Radiology. His appointment also includes a full-time position at the Yale New Haven Hospital, where he is an Attending Pediatric Radiologist and provides clinical services to children from New Haven County and beyond. His research interests are broad, and he has won three Walter E. Berdon awards for best papers published in the Journal Pediatric Radiology, with pieces on ultrasound (2008), magnetic resonance imaging (2009) and computed tomography (2010). Cicero loves teaching, and has won an award for excellence in teaching from the Yale Radiology graduating class of 2012.

Appointments

Other Departments & Organizations

Education & Training

Fellow
The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada (2007)
Fellow
The Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (2005)
Resident
Hospital Santa Marcelina, Sao Paulo, Brazil (2002)
MD
Universidade Estadual de Londrina (1997)

Research

Overview

I have co-authored studies on the use of ultrasound in the evaluation of the neonatal gastrointestinal tract. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common neonatal gastrointestinal emergency, potentially leading to death. Its diagnosis has traditionally relied on radiographs. My colleagues and I have recently shown that ultrasound can be used for early diagnosis of NEC [1], when the radiographs are still nonspecific. That discovery may potentially impact on disease outcome, as early diagnosis and treatment have been shown to decrease morbidity and mortality. On a previous study [2] we had shown that ultrasound can be used to stratify patients and identify those that may need surgery, before corresponding changes are apparent on radiographs. That study has been pivotal in helping establish the clinical use of ultrasound in NEC, has won a Walter E. Berdon award for best paper published in Pediatric Radiology, and has stimulated an extensive body of subsequent related research (more than 140 citations to date).

I have co-authored two studies on the use of practice MRI [3, 4], showing that young children can often successfully undergo MRI scans without sedation or anesthesia, if coached on a mock scanner. One of these studies has won a Walter E. Berdon award for best paper published in Pediatric Radiology. These studies have helped to disseminate the concept of MRI preparation as a replacement to sedation or anesthesia, with more than 160 citations to date.

I have co-authored two studies on the computed tomography (CT) evaluation of pulmonary nodules in pediatric oncology patients [5, 6]. One study showed that no CT finding can differentiate benign from malignant nodules in children. The other study showed that computer-aided detection software is able to detect pulmonary nodules missed by radiologists, making it potentially useful as a second reader. These studies have advanced the knowledge of interpretation of pulmonary nodules on pediatric CT, with 60 citations to date. One of them has won a Walter E. Berdon award for best paper published in Pediatric Radiology.

Currently I am working with colleagues within and outside Yale on projects that entail novel uses of high-resolution ultrasound in neonates and critically-ill children.

Medical Research Interests

Abdomen; Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Pediatrics; Radiology

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Cicero Torres Silva's published research.

Publications

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

Clinical Trials

Current Trials

Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

  • activity

    Pediatric Radiology

  • activity

    The Latin-American Society of Pediatric Radiology

  • activity

    The American Board of Radiology

  • activity

    The American College of Radiology

  • activity

    The World Federation of Pediatric Imaging

Clinical Care

Overview

Cicero Silva, MD, is a pediatric radiologist specializing in imaging the chest and abdomen. Dr. Silva has been at the forefront of pediatric radiology research, especially in using ultrasounds to look at the neonatal GI tract to diagnose necrotizing enterocolitis and midgut volvulus, conditions primarily affecting babies.

Dr. Silva has won three Walter E. Berdon awards for his papers on ultrasound, MRI, and CT scans. This award, from the Society for Pediatric Radiology, recognizes the best clinical research in the field.

He is also active in global health initiatives to address the lack of pediatric radiologists in low-resource countries, a gap that means many children don’t receive proper diagnoses or care. The World Federation of Pediatric Imaging offers free, second-opinion teleradiology consults to referring physicians. Dr. Silva led the outreach team for several years and remains engaged with the group.

Dr. Silva is an associate professor of radiology and biomedical imaging at Yale School of Medicine and is the section chief for Pediatric Radiology.

Clinical Specialties

Radiology & Biomedical Imaging; Pediatric Radiology

Fact Sheets

Board Certifications

  • Pediatric Radiology

    Certification Organization
    AB of Radiology
    Original Certification Date
    2017
  • Diagnostic Radiology

    Certification Organization
    AB of Radiology
    Original Certification Date
    2015

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Get In Touch

Contacts

Academic Office Number
Appointment Number
Office Fax Number
Clinic Fax Number
Mailing Address

Radiology & Biomedical Imaging

PO Box 208042

New Haven, CT 06520-8042

United States

Administrative Support

Locations

  • Patient Care Locations

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