Advances in diagnosis of chronic liver diseases in pediatric patients
Lucija Ruzman1, Ivana Mikolasevic2, Kristina Baraba Dekanic3
1Pediatric Clinic, UHC Rijeka, Istarska 43, 51 000, Rijeka, Croatia. lucija.ruzman@gmail.com.
Insights
Transient elastography (TE) with controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) offers a valuable, non-invasive method for assessing liver damage in children with chronic liver diseases (CLD). Interpretation requires considering patient factors alongside TE results.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Hepatology
- Non-invasive diagnostic tools
Background:
- Chronic liver diseases (CLD) pose significant challenges in pediatrics.
- Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) prevalence is increasing, necessitating effective monitoring.
- Non-invasive methods for evaluating pediatric liver fibrosis are currently lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize current knowledge on transient elastography (TE) with controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) for CLD in children.
- To review the utility of TE in pediatric liver disease assessment.
Main Methods:
- Non-systematic literature search.
- Databases searched: Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library.
- Focus on studies evaluating TE in the pediatric population.
Main Results:
- Provides age-dependent normal values for liver stiffness measurements (LSM).
- Summarizes advantages and disadvantages of TE and CAP.
- Details the utility of TE for specific pediatric liver diseases.
Conclusions:
- TE with CAP is a valuable non-invasive tool for liver damage assessment in children.
- Clinical interpretation of TE results must integrate patient demographics, disease etiology, and laboratory parameters.
Background:
Chronic liver diseases (CLD) present important clinical problem in children with various age-dependent causes. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with its increasing prevalence is a major problem with regard to its timely recognition and the need for long-term disease monitoring. At present, a perfect non-invasive method for the evaluation of liver fibrosis is not available.
Methods:
A non-systematic literature search was performed to summarize the current knowledge about transient elastography (TE) with controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) in children with CLD. Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Google scholar, and The Cochrane Library databases were searched for relevant articles evaluating TE in the pediatric population.
Results:
Normal values of liver stiffness measurements (LSM) according to the age are given, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the method. The utility of TE in specific liver disease in pediatric population is summarized.
Conclusions:
TE with CAP is a valuable non-invasive method for the liver-damage assessment. Clinical interpretation of TE results should be made in parallel with the assessment of the patient's demographics, disease etiology, and essential laboratory parameters.
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