Sonographic Portal Vein Biometry in Apparently Healthy Children in Northeastern Nigeria

Geofery Luntsi; Ramatu Danjuma Umar; Chigozie Nwobi Ivor; Joseph Dlama Zira; Ahmed Ahidjo

doi:10.4103/JMU.JMU_89_18

Sonographic Portal Vein Biometry in Apparently Healthy Children in Northeastern Nigeria

J Med Ultrasound. 2019 May 20;28(1):24-28. doi: 10.4103/JMU.JMU_89_18. eCollection 2020 Jan-Mar.

Authors

Geofery Luntsi¹, Ramatu Danjuma Umar¹, Chigozie Nwobi Ivor¹, Joseph Dlama Zira², Ahmed Ahidjo³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Radiography, College of Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
² Department of Radiology Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi, Bauchi, Nigeria.
³ Department of Radiology, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: This study aimed at determining the mean portal vein diameter (PVD) based on age, gender, and anthropometric variables.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional prospective study carried out among apparently healthy children aged 0-18 years at the radiology department of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi, from November 2016 to April 2017. Ethical clearance was obtained from the institutional committee on ethics and the head of radiology department in ATBUTH, Bauchi. Written and informed consent was obtained from all the participants, through their parents or guardians and from the head teachers of their schools before the study. Participants (children) were recruited (voluntarily) from primary and junior secondary schools within the vicinity of the hospital, and from parents who consented for their children to participate in the study. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 22.0. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentages) and Pearson product-moment correlation were used for the analysis. Statistical significance was considered at P < 0.05.

Results: There were 111 (58.2%) males and 99 (47.14%) females. The individuals were between the ages of <1-18 years with mean age of 8.8 ± 5.8. Participants' mean PVD, chest circumference, and body mass index (BMI) for the males were 6.96 ± 1.86 mm, 0.60 ± 0.08 mm, and 15.73 ± 1.40, respectively, and the mean PVD, chest circumference, and BMI for females were 6.60 ± 1.68 mm, 0.58 ± 0.09 mm, and 15.73 ± 1.42, respectively. A positive relationship was found between PVD and some anthropometric parameters.

Conclusion: The mean PVD in this study was 6.85 ± 1.18 mm, and the PVD correlates positively with some anthropometric variables among children in the studied population.

Keywords: Anthropometric variable; apparently healthy children; biometry; portal vein; sonography.