title: Doppler US measurement of the superior mesenteric artery blood flow in children and adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Blood flow volume in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) measured by pulsed Doppler has been used in adults to evaluate Crohn disease but has not been utilized in children and adolescents.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To establish a cutoff point for normal SMA blood flow using pulsed Doppler US measurement in healthy children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included healthy volunteers from an urban community, divided into two age groups, children (5-9 years) and adolescents (10-17 years). Anthropometric measurements included waist circumference and body surface area classified according to the z-score of body mass index. Heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and temperature were measured immediately before US evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average age of the 60 participants was 12.2 years. Of these, 21 (35%) were ages 5-9 years and 39 (65%) were ages 10-17 years; 21 (35%) were boys. Findings of the two examiners coincided for 58 of the 60 (96.7%) participants. SMA blood flow was significantly lower in the children (mean ± SD = 556 ± 122 ml/min) than in adolescents (mean ± SD 775 ± 311 ml/min) (P < 0.001). SMA blood flow showed statistically significant positive associations with body surface area.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that superior mesenteric artery blood flow is significantly lower in children than in adolescents and is associated with body surface area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hospital São Lucas da Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Eloi
authors.forename: Matias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Epifanio
authors.forename: José V N
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Spolidoro
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Camargo
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krebs
authors.forename: Mariana D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mizerkowski
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baldisserotto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D001810:Blood Volume / Q000502:physiology; D001811:Blood Volume Determination / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017538:Mesenteric Artery, Superior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult