Non-Alkolik Yağlı Karaciğer Hastalığı Olan ve Olmayan Obez Çocuklarda Hepatik Vasküler Akım Değişikliklerinin Değerlendirilmesi

Objective: To evaluate hepatic vascular flow alterations using Doppler ultrasound in obese children with and without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.Material and Methods: Ninety-one obese and 30 healthy lean (control) children were enrolled in this study. Obese children were divided into two groups: children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and children without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; according to hepatic fatty changes on ultrasound, and blood serum alanine aminotransferase levels above 30 IU/L. Portal vein diameter, portal blood flow volume and hepatic artery resistive index were calculated using Doppler ultrasound.Results: Portal vein diameter and portal blood flow volume values in children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were found close to the controls. However, the values of portal vein diameter and portal blood flow volume were lower in children without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease group than the other groups (p<0.001). Hepatic artery resistive index was higher in children without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease group than children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease group (0.64±0.1 and 0.60±0.1, respectively) (p=0.03), whereas hepatic artery resistive index was found to be close in children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and controls. These findings were similar to the differences in hepatic vascular changes observed during the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which were described in physio-pathological studies.Conclusion: Portal vein diameter, portal blood flow volume and hepatic artery resistive index values in obese children show significant differences according to the presence or absence of fatty liver. These differences are consistent with hepatic physio-pathological changes in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Therefore, hepatic vascular Doppler indices may be a new tool that can be used to monitor the development and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese children.