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Spleen length in childhood with US: normal values based on age, sex, and somatometric parameters

Stylianos D Megremis1, Ioannis G Vlachonikolis, Amalia M Tsilimigaki

  • 1First Department of Radiology, Venizelio General Hospital, Heraklion, Crete, Greece. efstel@med.uoc.gr

Radiology
|March 3, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Ultrasonography (US) determined normal spleen length in 512 healthy children aged 1 day to 17 years. Spleen length correlated nonlinearly with age, height, and weight, with no significant sex differences observed.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric imaging
  • Diagnostic ultrasonography
  • Human growth and development

Background:

  • Accurate spleen size assessment is crucial for diagnosing various pediatric conditions.
  • Establishing normative data for spleen dimensions in children is essential for clinical interpretation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To ultrasonographically determine normal spleen length in a large cohort of healthy children.
  • To establish reference ranges for spleen length based on age and anthropometric parameters.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 512 healthy children (1 day to 17 years) using ultrasonography.
  • Nonlinear and multiple regression analyses were employed to correlate spleen length with age, height, weight, and body surface area (BSA).
  • Normal ranges and growth curves were generated, including 90% upper confidence limits (UCLs).

Main Results:

  • Spleen length showed a strong nonlinear correlation with age, height, weight, and BSA.
  • Age, height, and either weight or BSA were significant positive predictors of spleen length.
  • No statistically significant sex-based differences in spleen length were found.

Conclusions:

  • Ultrasonography provides reliable measurements for establishing normal spleen length ranges in children.
  • The derived reference data are valuable for pediatricians and radiologists in clinical practice.
Abstract

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