title: Normal values of liver shear wave velocity in healthy children assessed by acoustic radiation force impulse imaging using a convex probe and a linear probe.
abstract: Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) is an image-guided ultrasound elastography method that allows quantification of liver stiffness by measurement of shear wave velocity. One purpose of the work described in this article was to determine the normal liver stiffness values of healthy children using ARFI with two different probes, 4 C1 and 9 L4. Another purpose was to evaluate the effects of site of measurement, age, gender and body mass index on liver stiffness values. This prospective study included 60 healthy children (newborn to 14 y) divided into four age groups. One thousand two hundred ARFI measurements were performed, that is, 20 measurements per patient (5 measurements in each lobe, with each probe). Means, standard deviations (SD) and confidence intervals for velocity were calculated for each hepatic lobe and each probe in each age group and for the whole group. Mean shear wave velocity measured in the right lobe was 1.19 ± 0.04 m/s (SD = 0.13) with the 4 C1 transducer and 1.15 ± 0.04 m/s (SD = 0.15) with the 9 L4 transducer. Age had a small effect on shear wave measurements. Body mass index and sex had no significant effects on ARFI values, whereas site of measurement had a significant effect, with lower ARFI values in the right hepatic lobe. ARFI is a non-invasive technique that is feasible to perform in children with both the 4 C1 and 9 L4 probes. The aforementioned velocity values obtained in the right lobe may be used as reference values for normal liver stiffness in children.
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: fonteche@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fontanilla
authors.affiliation: Hospitales de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cañas
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Araceli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Macia
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alfageme
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gutierrez Junquera
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malalana
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luz Cilleruelo
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Enriqueta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roman
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miralles
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D055119:Elastic Modulus / Q000502:physiology; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
keywords: Acoustic radiation force impulse; Children; Convex probe; Linear probe; Liver elastography; Shear wave velocity; Ultrasound