Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab.  2016 Jun;21(2):75-80. 10.6065/apem.2016.21.2.75.

Ultrasound measurement of pediatric visceral fat thickness: correlations with metabolic and liver profiles

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. hopechae@yuhs.ac
  • 2Department of Radiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 3Sowha Children's Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

PURPOSE
Abdominal obesity is a fundamental factor underlying the development of metabolic syndrome. Because of radiation exposure and cost, computed tomography or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to evaluate abdominal adiposity are not appropriate in children. Authors evaluated whether ultrasound results could be an indicator of insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
METHODS
We enrolled 73 subjects (aged 6-16 years) who were evaluated abdominal adiposity by ultrasound. Subcutaneous fat thickness was defined as the measurement from the skin-fat interface to the linea alba, and visceral fat thickness (VFT) was defined as the thickness from the linea alba to the aorta. Anthropometric and biochemical metabolic parameters were also collected and compared. The subjects who met 2 criteria, radiologic confirmed fatty liver and alanine aminotransferase >40, were diagnosed with NAFLD.
RESULTS
There was a strong positive correlation between VFT and obesity. VFT was highly correlated with the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance score (r=0.403, P<0.001). The area under the curve for VFT as a predictor of NAFLD was 0.875 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.787-0.964). VFT of 34.3 mm was found to be the discriminating cutoff for NAFLD (sensitivity, 84.6%; specificity, 71.2%, respectively).
CONCLUSION
Ultrasound could be useful in measuring VFT and assessing abdominal adiposity in children. Moreover, increased VFT might be an appropriate prognostic factor for insulin resistance and NAFLD.

Keyword

Intra-abdominal fat; Ultrasonography; Child; Abdominal obesity metabolic syndrome; Fatty liver

MeSH Terms

Absorptiometry, Photon
Adiposity
Alanine Transaminase
Aorta
Child
Fatty Liver
Homeostasis
Humans
Insulin Resistance
Intra-Abdominal Fat*
Liver*
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Obesity
Obesity, Abdominal
Radiation Exposure
Sensitivity and Specificity
Subcutaneous Fat
Ultrasonography*
Alanine Transaminase

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of visceral fat thickness (VFT) as a predictor of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The ROC for VFT as a predictor of NAFLD was 0.875 (95% confidence interval, 0.787–0.964). VFT of 34.3 mm was found to be the discriminating cutoff for NAFLD (sensitivity, 84.6%; specificity, 71.2%, respectively). ALT, alanine aminotransferase.


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Visceral fat thickness and its associations with pubertal and metabolic parameters among girls with precocious puberty
Dong Wook Kim, Junghwan Suh, Ah Reum Kwon, Hyun Wook Chae, Choon Sik Yoon, Ho-Seong Kim, Duk Hee Kim
Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2018;23(2):81-87.    doi: 10.6065/apem.2018.23.2.81.


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