Possibilities of ultrasonic methods of research in the diagnosis of non-alcoholic fat liver disease in children

Abstract

The prevalence of non-alcohol fatty liver disease in a pediatric population over the past few decades is constantly increasing. The aim of the study - to describe the possibilities of ultrasound methods of research in the diagnosis of non-alcoholic fat liver disease in children. Materials and methods. 47 children with non-alcohol fatty liver disease, aged from 9 to 18 years were investigated: 25 boys (53.19 %) and 22 girls (46.81%). 19 children of prepubertal age (9-12 years old), which accounted for 40.43 % and 28 of puberty age (13-17 years) – 59.57 %. According to the index of body weight in 34 (72.34 %) of investigated children, an excessive body weight (85-95 percentile), and in 13 (27.66 %) children an alimentary-constitutional type of obesity (≥ 95 percentile) were registered. All patients had a laboratory-instrumental examination. Ultrasound examination of abdominal organs according to a generally accepted method, ultrasonic steatometry and ultrasound elastography for determining the signs of fibrous damage were carried out. 26 patients had the diagnosis of liver steatosis and 21 – steatohepatitis. Results of the research. Grayscale ultrasound recorded 2 degrees of echographic changes: with non-alcoholic fatty steatosis in 46.15 %, with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in 85.71 % of cases. According to the results of steatometry, the greatest deviations were in children with excessive body weight and obesity in groups: S-1 (38.46 % – with steatosis and 33.3 % – with steatohepatitis) and S-2 (50 % – with steatosis and 52.38 % with steatohepatitis). A slight increase in the stiffness of the liver parenchyma, according to elastography, has been registered in 2 children with liver steatosis and in 3 patients with steatohepatitis. Conclusion. Ultrasonic methods are an important tool not only in screening diagnosis of the non-alcohol fatty liver disease, but in objective measurements of the fat damage degree and in determining the fibrotic changes in the liver as well.