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Evaluation of Parotid Glands With Real-time Ultrasound Elastography in Children
Gulay Gungor1, Nursel Yurttutan, Nursel Yurttan1
1Clinics of Radiology (G.G., S.C.) and Ear-Nose-Throat (N.B.), Kahramanmaras Necip Fazıl City Hospital, Kahramanmaras, Turkey; Department of Radiology, Kahramanmaras University School of Medicine, Kahramanmaras, Turkey (N.Y.); and Department of Radiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey (M.S.M., M.D., S.A.).
Insights
Ultrasound elastography determined normal strain index values for pediatric parotid glands. This establishes a baseline for diagnosing parotid diseases in children using elastography.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Radiology
- Medical Imaging
- Biophysics
Background:
- Ultrasound elastography is an emerging technique for assessing tissue stiffness.
- Establishing normal reference values is crucial for accurate disease diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the normal strain index values for parotid glands in children using ultrasound elastography.
- To provide a normative dataset for pediatric parotid gland assessment.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving 54 healthy children.
- Conventional and elastographic examinations of parotid glands using a 5-12 MHz transducer.
- Strain index calculation for parotid glands.
Main Results:
- The mean strain index for pediatric parotid glands was 1.24 ± 0.67.
- No significant difference in strain index was observed between sexes (P=.986).
- No correlation found between strain index and age or body mass index.
Conclusions:
- This study provides mean strain index values for healthy pediatric parotid glands.
- These values can serve as a baseline for diagnosing parotid diseases with ultrasound elastography.
- Ultrasound elastography aids in differentiating normal from pathologic parotid conditions.
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to determine the strain index for parotid glands in children by using ultrasound elastography.
Methods:
In this prospective study, apparently healthy children were referred from the ear-nose-throat clinic to the radiology clinic for elastographic examinations. Conventional sonographic and elastographic examinations of the parotid glands were performed. A linear 5-12-MHz transducer was used to obtain the images.
Results:
A total of 54 children were enrolled in this prospective study. The normal mean strain index value ± SD for the parotid glands was 1.24 ± 0.67 (range, 0.29-1.39) regardless of sex. The mean age of girls was 7.42 ± 2.94 years (range, 3-14 years), and the age of boys was 8.50 ± 3.46 years (range, 4-16 years). The strain index values for the parotid glands in boys was 1.25 ± 0.76, and in girls it was 1.22 ± 0.55. There was no statistically significant difference in the strain index values between girls and boys (P= .986). There was no correlation between the strain index and age (r = 0.026) or body mass index (r = 0.066).
Conclusions:
This study determined the mean strain index values for apparently healthy children. Such information can serve as a baseline from which pathologic parotid diseases can be diagnosed with ultrasound elastography in combination with other sonographic criteria.
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