title: [Is the propagation speed of ultrasound in human organs a diagnostic parameter for tissue characterization?: evaluation using the liver parenchyma in children and adolescents as an example].
abstract: New sonographic machines permit the measurement of the propagation speed of ultrasound (PSU) in humans. The liver seems to be an appropriate organ for examining whether the PSU may be used as a diagnostic parameter for tissue characterization since the liver is easily accessible to sonography and its variable content of fat impacts the PSU.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether there is a measurable correlation between obesity and PSU in the liver.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 69 children and adolescents, the PSU in the liver was measured sonographically and correlated to BMI, age, size and weight of the children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A strong correlation was found between the PSU in the liver and the BMI. The PSU was significantly lower in obese children (1507 m/s) than in children with normal body weight (1564 m/s).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PSU seems to be promising as an additional diagnostic parameter for characterizing liver tissue. Further evaluation is necessary.
authors.affiliation: Radiologische Klinik - Kinderradiologie, Universität Bonn. mark.born@ukb.uni-bonn.de
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Born
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Franke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007223:Infant; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010825:Physics; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation*