Department of General Pediatrics, University Hospital, Heidelberg, INF 430, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
Eur J Pediatr. 2012 Feb;171(2):353-60. doi: 10.1007/s00431-011-1558-7. Epub 2011 Aug 23.
Transient elastography (TE) is a new technique for the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis. The degree of fibrosis is equivalent to the liver stiffness measured in kilopascal (kPa). It is frequently used in adult patients with a mean normal stiffness of 4.4-5.5 kPa. Since 2008, liver stiffness can be measured even in small children and infants following the availability of a new probe with a smaller diameter (S-probe 5 mm) than the regular probe (M-probe 7 mm). We report control values for healthy children between 0 and 18 years and investigated the feasibility of this technique in a pediatric population. For control values, TE was performed in infants and children after exclusion of liver disease by medical history, clinical examination, blood investigation, and abdominal ultrasound. For feasibility analyses the results of all TE performed in our clinic were analyzed irrespective of the underlying disease. Liver stiffness was measured with the S-probe (thorax diameter <45 cm (S1) or 45-75 cm (S2)) and the M-probe (thorax diameter >75 cm) according to the manufacturer's recommendations. A total of 240 healthy children were analyzed to establish control values. The median liver stiffness was 4.7 kPa resulting in an upper limit of normal of 6.47 kPa. Median values of stiffness were significantly age dependent with 4.40, 4.73, and 5.1 kPa in children 0-5, 6-11, and 12-18 years (p = 0.001) while the interquartile range decreased with age (0.8, 0.7, and 0.6 kPa). The resulting upper limit of normal (median plus 1.64 times standard deviation) was 5.96, 6.65, and 6.82 kPa. Girls between 11 and 18 years showed a significantly lower median stiffness than boys of the same age (4.7 vs. 5.6 kPa; p < 0.005). Feasibility was tested in 975 consecutive liver stiffness measurements (LSM) in children 0-18 years of age. Patients with invalid LSM were significantly younger than those with valid LSM (5.8 vs. 9.7 years, p < 0.0001), showed a significantly higher stiffness (10.2 vs. 6.17, p < 0.0001), and examinations took significantly longer (202 vs. 160 s, p < 0.0001). TE is technically possible in children of all age groups. The upper limit of normal increases significantly with age. Due to movement artifacts the measurement is reliable from the age of 6 without sedation. In younger children the number of invalid measurements increases significantly. Further studies are needed to asses the value of TE in the diagnosis and follow-up of liver disease in pediatric hepatology.
瞬时弹性成像(TE)是一种用于评估肝纤维化的新技术。纤维化程度相当于千帕斯卡(kPa)测量的肝硬度。它常用于平均正常硬度为 4.4-5.5 kPa 的成年患者。自 2008 年以来,即使在直径较小(S 探头 5 毫米)的新探头(S 探头)的可用性下,也可以在小儿和婴儿中测量肝硬度。我们报告了 0 至 18 岁健康儿童的对照值,并研究了该技术在儿科人群中的可行性。对于对照值,通过病史、临床检查、血液检查和腹部超声排除肝脏疾病后,在婴儿和儿童中进行 TE。对于可行性分析,我们分析了在诊所进行的所有 TE 的结果,而不考虑潜在疾病。根据制造商的建议,使用 S 探头(胸廓直径 <45 cm(S1)或 45-75 cm(S2))和 M 探头(胸廓直径 >75 cm)测量肝硬度。共分析了 240 名健康儿童以建立对照值。肝硬度中位数为 4.7 kPa,正常上限为 6.47 kPa。硬度的中位数与年龄显著相关,0-5 岁、6-11 岁和 12-18 岁儿童的中位数分别为 4.40、4.73 和 5.1 kPa(p=0.001),而四分位距随年龄降低(0.8、0.7 和 0.6 kPa)。正常上限(中位数加 1.64 倍标准差)为 5.96、6.65 和 6.82 kPa。11 至 18 岁的女孩的中位硬度明显低于同年龄的男孩(4.7 与 5.6 kPa;p<0.005)。在 0 至 18 岁的儿童中,975 次连续肝硬度测量(LSM)中测试了可行性。无效 LSM 的患者明显比有效 LSM 的患者年轻(5.8 与 9.7 岁,p<0.0001),硬度明显更高(10.2 与 6.17,p<0.0001),检查时间明显更长(202 与 160 s,p<0.0001)。TE 在所有年龄段的儿童中都可以技术上可行。正常上限随年龄显著增加。由于运动伪影,在不镇静的情况下,6 岁以上的儿童测量可靠。在年龄较小的儿童中,无效测量的数量显著增加。需要进一步研究以评估 TE 在儿科肝病的诊断和随访中的价值。