Evaluation of Hepatosteatosis-Induced Increase in Fibrosity by Two-Dimensional Shear Wave Elastography in Children with Obesity and Comparison with Healthy Peers.

Abstract

Objective: The increase in the prevalence of obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and related comorbidities in children creates a social and financial burden. In our study, we aimed to evaluate liver findings together with anthropometric and laboratory data with twodimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE), one of the SWE types, which is a noninvasive method for assessing tissue stiffness in children with obesity, and to obtain quantitative data that can be used in early diagnosis and follow-up.

Materials and methods: In our single-center, observational cross-sectional study, liver gray scale findings, 2D-SWE findings, anthropometric measurements, and laboratory values of 48 children with obesity and 50 healthy children aged between 5 and 18 years, both between groups and in prepubertal and pubertal subgroups, are compared.

Results: A significant difference was found in the liver stiffness indicator kilopascal (kPA) values and between aspartate aminotransferase values in the prepubertal period and alanine aminotransferase values in the pubertal period (P < .001). No significant difference was found between insulin, HOMA-IR, waist circumference, waist/height ratio, and kPA.

Conclusion: Two-dimensional shear wave elastography can be easily applied in the pediatric population as a practical, noninvasive, reproducible, and highly compatible technique. In this regard, 2D-SWE may be useful in the early diagnosis and follow-up of hepatosteatosis and fibrosis in children with obesity and NAFLD-risky cases.