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Evaluation of Pancreas with Strain Elastography in Children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Mehmet Öztürk1, Ruken Yildirim2
1Department of Pediatric Radiology, Diyarbakır Children's Hospital, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
Insights
Ultrasound strain elastography reveals altered pancreatic elasticity in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). This non-invasive method shows promise for early detection and monitoring of T1DM in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric endocrinology
- Medical imaging
- Biomedical engineering
Background:
- Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic condition affecting children.
- Pancreatic elasticity changes may occur in T1DM.
- Assessing pancreatic tissue properties is crucial for understanding T1DM pathophysiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate alterations in pancreatic elasticity in children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus.
- To evaluate the utility of ultrasound strain elastography for assessing pancreatic tissue stiffness in pediatric T1DM.
Main Methods:
- Ultrasound strain elastography was employed to measure pancreatic strain ratios in 60 children with T1DM and 60 healthy controls.
- Key parameters including hemoglobin A1c, duration of T1DM, and strain ratio values were collected and analyzed.
- Statistical comparisons and correlation analyses were performed between groups and variables.
Main Results:
- Children with T1DM exhibited significantly higher pancreatic strain ratios compared to healthy controls (p<0.001).
- An optimal cut-off strain ratio of 2.245 was identified for differentiating T1DM, with high sensitivity and specificity.
- Strain ratio positively correlated with age and T1DM duration in patients.
Conclusions:
- Ultrasound strain elastography is a safe, non-invasive, and effective tool for evaluating pancreatic elasticity in children with T1DM.
- This technique shows potential for early detection, long-term screening, and patient follow-up.
- Findings suggest increased pancreatic tissue stiffness is associated with T1DM in pediatric populations.
Background:
To investigate changes in pancreatic elasticity in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).
Material/Methods:
The study group consisted of 60 children with T1DM, and the control group was comprised of 60 healthy children. Strain ratios were obtained for the pancreas using ultrasound strain elastography (Toshiba Applio 500 device). Baseline descriptive data, hemoglobin A1c (%) level, time since diagnosis of T1DM (months), and strain ratio values were noted and compared between the 2 groups. Furthermore, correlation between strain ratio values and other variables was investigated.
Results:
ROC analysis yielded an optimal cut-off value of 2.245 (AUC=0.999, p<0.001, sensitivity=0.983, specificity=1.00) for the strain ratio. Strain ratio values greater than 2.245 were likely to be pathological, which could be attributed to increased tissue stiffness in T1DM. The strain ratio was significantly higher in T1DM patients than in the control group (3.38±0.66 vs. 1.32±0.35; p<0.001). The strain ratio correlated positively with age and duration of T1DM (p<0.001 for both), and there was a correlation between the strain ratio and age in the control group (p=0.011).
Conclusions:
Strain elastography is a promising, safe, non-invasive, and practical method for early detection, long-term screening, and follow-up in children with T1DM.
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