Pelvic and breast ultrasound abnormalities and associated metabolic disturbances in girls with premature pubarche due to adrenarche.

OBJECTIVE: Premature adrenarche (PA) has been suggested as a risk factor for future health problems, such as metabolic syndrome and early menarche. However, not all girls with PA have these features and it is not certain who will develop them. We propose that these abnormalities might be identified earlier, even before they are visible. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Tertiary care hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-eight girls with premature pubarche due to PA and age (mean age 7.6 ± 1.0 years), weight, body mass index (BMI), birth weight and gestational age-matched 49 girls with no palpable breast tissue. MEASUREMENTS: Early pubertal pelvic and breast ultrasonographic changes and their associations with obesity and metabolic parameters were evaluated. Blood samples were collected, breast and pelvic ultrasound examinations were performed and bone ages were assessed. RESULTS: Girls with PA were taller and their bone ages were higher (p = .049 and p = .005). Fasting blood glucose, insulin, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were not different between the groups. Luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol were not different either. Ultrasonography revealed breast gland tissue in 30% of girls with PA and 5% of controls (p = .006). Uterine volume and endometrial thickness were higher in girls with PA (p = .03 and p = .04). Endometrial thickness was positively associated with serum insulin levels in the whole study group and after adjusting for age, diagnosis, BMI, mean ovarian volume and LH, FSH, estradiol levels, this association remained with a borderline p-value (R2 = 0.486, p = .050). CONCLUSIONS: We found early changes in uterus and breast glands of girls with PA and endometrial thickness was positively associated with insulin levels.

The relationship between infancy growth rate and the onset of puberty in both genders.

BackgroundIn this study, we examined the hypothesis that weight gain and linear growth during the first years of life influence the onset of puberty both in girls and in boys.MethodsA cohort of 157 healthy children, aged 6-9 years, was evaluated and their growth patterns were analyzed retrospectively. Repeated measures mixed model was used to examine the longitudinal anthropometric data.ResultsGirls with pubertal signs were heavier than their peers starting at 9 months of age (P=0.02), and the difference became more evident over time (P<0.001). Accelerated weight gain between 6 and 15 months of age was found to increase the odds of having a pubertal sign at the study visit (odds ratio (OR)=34.5) after adjusting for birth weight, gestational age and current age, height, weight, and BMI (P=0.004). Anthropometric indices of boys with or without pubertal signs were not significantly different at the study visit, but boys with accelerated height gain between 9 and 15 months of age were more likely to have pubertal signs (OR=15.8) after adjusting for birth weight, gestational age and current age, height, weight, and BMI (P=0.016).ConclusionEarly growth acceleration might be important for the timing of puberty in both genders.

Clinical importance of renal calyceal microlithiasis in children.

BACKGROUND: Renal calyceal microlithiasis refers to a hyperechogenic spot in renal calyces <3 mm in diameter detected on renal sonography. These spots possibly represent the first step in calculus formation. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical presentation, predisposing factors, prognosis and clinical importance of these hyperechogenic spots in renal calyces, renal calyceal microlithiasis, during childhood. METHODS: The data of 292 children (135 girls, 157 boys) with microlithiasis diagnosed between January 1998 and December 2010 were evaluated retrospectively. Demographic data, serum biochemistry, urinary metabolic factors, and renal sonography results were obtained from patient files. A total of 228 patients were re-evaluated at least 6 months after the first observation of renal calyceal microlithiasis and at 6-12 month intervals thereafter. RESULTS: Mean age was 16.8 ± 14.9 months, and mean follow-up duration was 14.6 ± 5.9 months. Presenting symptoms were abdominal or flank pain (41.1%), hematuria (35.6%), dysuria (24.7%) and urinary tract infection (34.6%). Previous ultrasounds were normal in 35% of the children. Metabolic and anatomic abnormalities were found in 55.5% and 17.8%, respectively. Hypercalciuria was the most common metabolic abnormality (88.9%). Among 228 patients who had been re-evaluated, microlithiasis disappeared in 37.7%; decreased in number or size in 23.7%; progressed to renal stone formation in 10.6%; increased in number of microlithiasis in 19.0%; and remained unchanged on radiology in 9.0%. CONCLUSION: Renal calyceal microlithiasis represents a spectrum of clinical situations and underlying metabolic abnormalities that need further investigation in children.

Renal measurements, including length, parenchymal thickness, and medullary pyramid thickness, in healthy children: what are the normative ultrasound values?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to develop, by use of ultrasound, nomograms of renal parenchymal thickness, medullary pyramid thickness (height), renal length, and the ratio of medullary pyramid thickness to parenchymal thickness in healthy children. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This prospective study included 292 consecutive children (136 boys and 156 girls) who were referred between October 2008 and March 2009 for problems other than urinary tract symptoms or underlying kidney disorders. The children were between 1 month and 18 years old (mean age, 6.1 +/- 5.9 years). Real-time gray-scale sonography was performed with a linear or curved array transducer. All examinations were performed by the same experienced radiologist (16 years of experience in pediatric sonography at the time the study began). All the children were well hydrated and had full bladders at the time of examination. Renal length measurements were performed in the sagittal view, and the maximum length of each kidney was measured. Measurements of parenchymal thickness and medullary pyramid thickness were performed on the same image on which length measurements were made. Parenchymal thickness and medullary pyramid thickness were measured at the middle third portion of the kidney. The Wilcoxon's signed rank test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Nomograms of renal parenchymal thickness, medullary pyramid thickness, renal length, and the ratio of medullary pyramid thickness to parenchymal thickness were developed. When all age groups were pooled together, statistically significant differences were observed between right and left kidneys in terms of parenchymal thickness (p < 0.001), medullary pyramid thickness (p < 0.001), and renal length (left kidneys were longer, with thicker medullary pyramids and parenchyma; p < 0.001). A slight but significant difference in the ratio of medullary pyramid thickness to parenchymal thickness was observed (p = 0.045). CONCLUSION: By use of renal sonography, nomograms of renal parenchymal thickness, medullary pyramid thickness, renal length, and the ratio of medullary pyramid thickness to parenchymal thickness were established in healthy children.

Grading of classical testicular microlithiasis has no effect on the prevalence of associated testicular tumors.

AIM: To evaluate the role of further grading of classical testicular microlithiasis (CTM) on the prevalence of associated testicular tumors. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with CTM using scrotal ultrasound over a 5-year period from a referral radiology clinic were included in this study. Patients with CTM were categorized as group 1 (grade I; 5-10 microliths/image), group 2 (grade II 10-20 microliths/image), and group 3 (grade III > 20 microliths/image). Other pathological findings were also recorded. The prevalence of testicular cancer was compared statistically between groups using the chi(2) test. RESULTS: Seventy-eight of 4,310 (1.8%) patients were found to have CTM. Of these, 17 (21.7%) had ultrasonographically detected testicular cancer. In patients without CTM (n = 4,232), 58 (1.1%) testicular cancers were found. This accounted to a 19.7-fold increase in the detection rate of testicular cancer in patients with CTM compared to patients without CTM. The rates of testicular cancer detected in groups 2 and 3 were 25 (6/24) and 26.6% (4/15), respectively (p > 0.05), while it was 17.9% (7/39) in group 1. CONCLUSIONS: CTM is an uncommon incidental finding in patients undergoing testicular ultrasonography, and grading of CTM plays no role in the prevalence of testicular cancer.

The effect of fluid intake on renal length measurement in adults.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether oral fluid intake has an effect on renal length as determined with sonography. METHODS: We studied 524 adult patients who were referred to our ultrasound unit with complaints other than urinary tract symptoms. The mean age of the patients was 44 years (range 17-76). All of the measurements were performed with the patient in the prone position. The renal length of each kidney was measured by the same observer before and after oral fluid intake. Student's t-test was applied for the statistical significance of renal length measurements before and after hydration. Analysis of variance was performed for the effect of age and sex on the renal length measurements. RESULTS: The mean renal length on the right side was 106.2 +/- 5.5 mm and 107.5 +/- 5.7 mm on the left side before hydration. There was no statistically significant difference between right and left side renal length measurements. After hydration, the mean renal length was 113.5 +/- 6.1 mm on the right side and 114.6 +/- 6.6 mm on the left side. The mean increase in renal length after hydration was statistically significant (P < 0.001) and was 6.8% on the right side and 6.6% on the left side. Sex and age did not affect the measurements significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Oral fluid intake causes a statistically significant increase in renal length. This observation should be taken into consideration when renal length measurements are clinicallly important.

Cyclic voiding cystouretrography without the use of fluoroscopic monitoring.

PURPOSE: To determine whether cyclic voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) examinations can be performed without using real-time fluoroscopic monitoring. MATERIALS AND METHODS: VCUG examinations were performed in 209 children (133 girls and 76 boys). In each child, it was performed in a cyclic manner (three consecutive cycles) without using fluoroscopic monitoring and one radiograph was taken in each cycle of the examination. All patients were sedated by midazolam prior to examination. The degree of vesicoureteric reflux (VUR) was graded for each of the kidney ureter units (KUU) (total 418 KUU) separately. Statistical analysis included the comparison of the presence and absence of VUR and three ordinal-matched comparisons of each cycle. RESULTS: VCUG was detected in 37.3% of the children (78/209) and 28.7% (120/418) of the KUU. The absence of or same degree of VUR in three consecutive cycles were obtained in 345 KUU and the agreement was calculated as 82.5%. The same degree and presence of reflux were found in 85 and 89 refluxing KUU, the same negative findings (absence of VUR) in 306 and 298 KUU, and discordant findings in 27 and 31 KUU (between the first and second and between first and third cycles), respectively. Therefore, the agreement was 93.5 and 92.5% between the first and second cycles (p=0.70) and between the first and the third cycles (p=0.15), respectively. CONCLUSION: Both the cyclic nature of this study and the results indicated that VCUG without real-time fluoroscopic monitoring could be used where adequate fluoroscopic examination is not possible for children in whom VUR detection is necessary and impacts treatment. However, the responsibility of pediatric radiologist always must also include the task to provide proper equipment for imaging children with suspected VUR.