Role of transient elastography in pediatric patients with portal hypertension: A cross-sectional, single-center study

Abstract Introduction: Portal hypertension in children is associated with the emergence of myriad complications. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, though, has the upper hand in diagnosing portal hypertension and varices over the Doppler study, yet it is an invasive technique. The study was intended to assess the prospects of transient elastography (FibroScan) and explore its relationship with clinical, sonographic, biochemical, and endoscopic findings. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, single-center study included 23 pediatric patients with portal hypertension. The objectives were to assess the role of biochemical markers and transient elastography in pediatric portal hypertension patients and to determine the correlation between transient elastography and upper gastrointestinal endoscopic findings. Unpaired t -test, Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney U test, and Spearman correlation tests were used to assess the relationships between variceal grading, liver stiffness, biochemical markers, and physical clinical findings. Results: The mean of median stiffness of the liver recorded was 19.67 ± 14.85 kPa, with a female predominance, showing a higher degree of fibrosis. A positive association was detected between higher grading of fibrosis with total bilirubin (rho = 0.42, P = 0.045), alanine transaminase (rho = 0.5, P = 0.038), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) (rho = 0.43, P = 0.038). Esophageal varices were observed in all patients, with higher variceal grading being associated with a greater degree of fibrosis, but it was not found to have a statistically significant association. Conclusion: Transient elastography values correlate with clinical features, etiology, and biochemical parameters and can be used as a noninvasive diagnostic tool in pediatric portal hypertension patients.