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Minimal pelvic fluid in asymptomatic children: the value of the sonographic finding
Valeria Rathaus1, Michael Grunebaum, Osnat Konen
1Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sapir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel.
Insights
Minimal pelvic fluid is a common finding in asymptomatic children, particularly girls aged 5-15. This physiologic finding in pediatric abdominal sonography requires clinical context for interpretation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Radiology
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Abdominal sonography is a common imaging modality in children.
- The significance of minimal pelvic fluid in asymptomatic pediatric patients is not well-defined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of minimal pelvic fluid in asymptomatic children undergoing abdominal sonography.
- To compare findings between asymptomatic and symptomatic pediatric groups.
Main Methods:
- Abdominal sonography was performed on 396 asymptomatic and 266 symptomatic children.
- Children were categorized by age and sex.
- Pelvic fluid presence was assessed in all groups.
Main Results:
- Minimal pelvic fluid was observed in 7% of asymptomatic children, more frequently in girls (10.2%), especially those aged 5-15.
- Symptomatic children showed a higher prevalence (28.6%) of pelvic fluid, with no sex or age differences.
- Pelvic fluid was significantly more common in symptomatic versus asymptomatic children (P < .001).
Conclusions:
- Minimal pelvic fluid in children is a physiologic finding across all ages and sexes.
- Interpretation of pelvic fluid on pediatric sonography should consider the clinical context.
Objective:
To determine the presence of minimal pelvic fluid in asymptomatic children who underwent abdominal sonography.
Methods:
Between August 1999 and January 2001, we performed abdominal sonography in 396 asymptomatic children and 266 symptomatic children (acute and chronic abdominal pain). The 2 groups were evaluated for the presence of minimal fluid in the pelvis. All the children were divided into 4 subgroups according to age and sex.
Results:
Minimal pelvic fluid was noted in 28 (7%) of the asymptomatic children, and it was more common in girls (10.2%), especially in girls between the ages of 5 and 15 years. On the contrary, no difference between the age groups was seen in boys. Minimal pelvic fluid was found in 76 (28.6%) of the symptomatic children, with no difference seen between the sexes or age groups. The presence of pelvic fluid was significantly greater in the symptomatic group than in asymptomatic group (P < .001).
Conclusions:
Our data suggest that the presence of minimal pelvic fluid in children of all ages and both sexes is a physiologic finding and should be evaluated in the appropriate clinical context.
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