Ultrasonography in predicting and screening liver cirrhosis in children: a preliminary study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the value of ultrasonography in predicting and screening liver cirrhosis in children.


METHODS
Twenty-eight children with liver cirrhosis of various etiologies were examined by routine ultrasonography. A percutaneous liver biopsy guided by ultrasound was also performed on each patient, and the results of liver biopsy and ultrasonography were compared.


RESULTS
When compared with the biopsy results, ultrasonography in combination of clinical and laboratory findings gave accurate diagnoses of children liver cirrhosis. Although ultrasound imaging of children with liver cirrhosis revealed abnormal characteristics, these images were not specific to this disease, thus reinforcing the necessity of ultrasound-guided liver biopsy in the diagnosis of children liver cirrhosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Ultrasonography is reliable in the diagnosis of children liver cirrhosis, and its usefulness should be stressed in the screening and follow-up of high-risk pediatric patients.
Zhu
Jia-An
JA
Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200233, China. zhujiaan@tom.com
Hu
Bing
B
D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D014463:Ultrasonography