title: Comparative bone status assessment by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, peripheral quantitative computed tomography and quantitative ultrasound in adolescents and young adults with cystic fibrosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Quantitative ultrasound bone sonometry (QUS) might be a promising screening method for cystic fibrosis (CF)-related bone disease, given its absence of radiation exposure, portability of the equipment and low cost.The value of axial transmission forearm QUS in detecting osteopenia in CF was therefore studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the application of QUS in the evaluation of bone status in a group of 64 adolescents (>12 years) and young adults (<40 years) with CF in a comparison with a dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of the whole body and peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) of the radius at 4% and 66% sites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean (SD) Z-scores of speed of sound (SOS), whole body bone mineral content (BMC), radial trabecular bone mineral density (BMD), and radial cortical BMD were respectively -0.31 (0.78), -0.09 (1.28), 0.10 (1.16) and -0.62 (2.88). The pQCT determined bone geometry values (cortical bone area and cortical thickness) were more depressed than the BMD data. QUS had a sensitivity and specificity of respectively 0% and 96% for diagnosing osteopenia (based on a whole body BMC Z-score<-2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  QUS cannot replace DXA, but can screen out patients with normal bone mass. Further and larger studies are needed to examine if QUS may reflect other aspects than bone mass, or if it is possible to improve its sensitivity by supplementing the SOS results with clinical risk factors.
authors: Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, UZ Brussel, Brussels, Belgium. jean.deschepper@uzbrussel.be
authors: Jean
authors: J
authors: De Schepper
authors: Inge
authors: I
authors: Roggen
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Van Biervliet
authors: Eddy
authors: E
authors: Robberecht
authors: Inge
authors: I
authors: Gies
authors: Kathleen
authors: K
authors: De Waele
authors: Elke
authors: E
authors: De Wachter
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Malfroot
authors: Frans
authors: F
authors: De Baets
authors: Kaatje
authors: K
authors: Toye
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Goemaere
authors: Olivia
authors: O
authors: Louis
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011884:Radius / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult