Abstract: Objectives: To estimate portal vein diameter (PVD) and common bile duct diameter (CBDD) and the
length of spleen and hepatic lobes using abdominal ultrasonography (US) and to evaluate their relation to age,
gender, weight (Wt) and height (Ht) of normal children younger than 18 years. Subjects & Methods: The study
included 120 healthy children and adolescents younger than 18 years divided into 3 equal age groups with equal
distribution of both sexes: Group A included participants <6 years old, Group B included participants aged 6-12
years and those >12 years were included in group C. All study participants underwent anthropometric and US
measurements. Results: All obtained US measurements showed non-significant (p0.05) difference between males
and females. There was progressive significantly (p<0.001) higher measurements with advance of age in all obtained
measurements All obtained US measurements showed a positive significant correlation with age, weight and height.
However, PVD and spleen length showed their highest correlation coefficient with height, while CBDD and hepatic
lobes' length showed their highest correlation coefficient with age. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve
analysis of age, weight and height as predictor for US measurements of internal organs defined height as the most
specific predictor for PVD and spleen length with area under curve (AUC) = 0.697 and 0.550, respectively, weight
as the most specific predictor for length of hepatic lobes with AUC=0.593 and 0.542, respectively and age as the
most specific predictor for CBDD with AUC= 0.599. Conclusion: Age was found to be the main determinant of
growth rate of these organs; body height was the most significant determinant for PVD and splenic length, while
weight was the most significant determinant of CBDD and hepatic length.
[Gamal Abdel Salam, Esam Mehlab and Ali Mohamed. Ali. Ultrasonographic Estimation of Age-Dependent
Changes in Length of Spleen and Hepatic Lobes and Diameters of Portal Vein and Common Bile Duct in
Children. J Am Sci 2013 ;9(11):31-39). (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www. iofam ericanscience.org. 6 |
