https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30306466 Cirrhosis
World J Pediatr. 2018 Dec;14(6):541-547. doi: 10.1007/s12519-018-0197-8. Epub 2018 Oct 10.
Advances in diagnosis of chronic liver diseases in pediatric patients.
Ruzman L1, Mikolasevic I2, Baraba Dekanic K3, Milic S2, Palcevski G3.

Abstract

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.