Incidence and Diagnostic Performance of Ultrasound for Abdominal Organ Involvements (Liver, Spleen, Renal, Pancreas, and Gastrointestinal Tract) in Pediatric Patients With Hematological Malignancy.

Objectives: To demonstrate abdominal organ (liver, spleen, renal, pancreatic, and gastrointestinal tract) involvement incidence in pediatric patients with hematological malignancy and describe the diagnostic performance of ultrasound in detecting this involvement.

Methods: Sixty-five pediatric patients with hematological malignancies who underwent ultrasound before other imaging examinations, such as computed tomography or fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography, were reviewed. To assess the diagnostic performance of ultrasound for abdominal organ involvement, results were compared with other imaging findings.

Results: Thirty-four patients (52.3%) exhibited abdominal organ involvement (liver, 40.0% [26/65]; spleen, 38.5% [25/65]; kidney, 12.3% [8/65]; pancreas, 6.2% [4/65]; and gastrointestinal tract, 7.7% [5/65]). Sonography could detect 22 of 26, 23 of 25, five of eight, three of four, and four of five cases of liver, spleen, renal, and pancreas involvement, respectively. Diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for sonography were 93.8%, 88.5%, and 0% (liver), 96.9%, 92.0%, and 0% (spleen), 95.4%, 62.5%, and 0% (kidney), 98.5%, 75%, and 0% (pancreas), and 98.5%, 80%, and 0% (gastrointestinal tract), respectively.

Conclusions: Abdominal organ involvement incidence in hematological malignancies was 52.3%. Ultrasound provided reliable diagnostic performance for the initial evaluation of these involvements, and physicians could rapidly plan adequate further examinations based on these results.