Charlier Célia, Perre Saskia Vande, Dubern Béatrice, Apte-Dubuisson Claire, Audureau Etienne, Bertrand Margaux, Ducou le Pointe Hubert, Blondiaux Eléonore
Department of Radiology, Trousseau Hospital, APHP, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
Department of Pediatric Nutrition and Gastroenterology, Trousseau Hospital, APHP, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
Arch Pediatr. 2025 Jul;32(5):322-328. doi: 10.1016/j.arcped.2025.03.006. Epub 2025 Jun 11.
Ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) measures liver stiffness non-invasively in chronic liver diseases. Reference values in healthy children by age are needed in clinical practice.
Our study aimed to measure the reference values for liver elasticity by 2D SWE in a pediatric population stratified by age.
This retrospective study included 266 children without liver disease referred for an abdominal or renal ultrasonography from February 2022 to April 2022. Shear wave elasticity and shear wave speed were measured with a convex (6C1) or linear (SL15-4) transducer with a Canon Aplio 500 Aplio system performed for another reason in healthy children aged 0 to 19 years distributed in five age groups.
Median liver elasticity value was 5.50 kPa (interquartile range [IQR] 4.9-6.3) overall. Global analyses revealed values decreasing with increasing age from newborn to adolescence (elasticity: 6.0 kPa [IQR 5.4-6.5] to 5.3 kPa [IQR 4.7-6.4]; speed: 1.41 m/s [IQR 1.34-1.47] to 1.33 m/s [IQR 1.27-1.46], p < 10). Elasticity values were lower with the convex than linear transducer (5.20 kPa [IQR 4.7-5.8] vs 6.2 kPa [IQR 5.6-6.6], p < 10). Elasticity values increase with increasing age if we study each probe individually (from 1 year old to older). Median elasticity values were not associated with sex after adjustment for age or with BMI.
Our study provides reference values for liver elasticity in healthy children by age and for two probes using an Aplio system. Liver elasticity values differed according to the probe used.
超声剪切波弹性成像（SWE）可对慢性肝病患者的肝脏硬度进行无创测量。临床实践中需要健康儿童按年龄划分的参考值。
我们的研究旨在通过二维SWE测量按年龄分层的儿科人群肝脏弹性的参考值。
这项回顾性研究纳入了2022年2月至2022年4月期间因腹部或肾脏超声检查而转诊的266名无肝病儿童。使用佳能Aplio 500 Aplio系统的凸阵（6C1）或线阵（SL15-4）探头测量剪切波弹性和剪切波速度，这些儿童年龄在0至19岁之间，因其他原因接受检查，并分为五个年龄组。
总体而言，肝脏弹性值中位数为5.50千帕（四分位间距[IQR]4.9-6.3）。整体分析显示，从新生儿到青少年，随着年龄增长，弹性值下降（弹性：6.0千帕[IQR 5.4-6.5]至5.3千帕[IQR 4.7-6.4]；速度：1.41米/秒[IQR 1.34-1.47]至1.33米/秒[IQR 1.27-1.46]，p<0.01）。使用凸阵探头时的弹性值低于线阵探头（5.20千帕[IQR 4.7-5.8]对6.2千帕[IQR 5.6-6.6]，p<0.01）。如果单独研究每个探头，弹性值会随着年龄增长而增加（从1岁及以上）。调整年龄后，弹性值中位数与性别或BMI无关。
我们的研究提供了按年龄划分的健康儿童以及使用Aplio系统的两种探头的肝脏弹性参考值。肝脏弹性值因使用的探头而异。
