Quantitative Ultrasound to Assess Steatotic Liver Disease in Children
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: MR exam, US exam, Blood draw, Physical measurements.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: MASLD, MASLD - Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease. Basic parameters: 9 years — 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Overview
This research study is being conducted to find out more about advanced ultrasound techniques to non-invasively evaluate liver disease in children. The investigators are developing advanced techniques for analyzing ultrasound data and images of the liver, and they will compare it to other established methods used to evaluate the liver, including liver MRI. The investigators plan to develop and test the advanced analysis techniques using conventional full-size ultrasound machines and, if possible, small handheld devices. Our goals are: * To assess the accuracy of the advanced ultrasound analysis techniques in children * To implement and assess these advanced technique on small handheld ultrasound devices, if possible
Detailed description
Our broad long-term objective is to improve the health of children with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a condition characterized by accumulation of fat in liver cells, by developing and validating accurate, precise, practical, and widely available tools to detect, measure, and monitor liver fat.
Our study aims to develop advanced quantitative ultrasound (QUS) analysis models for use with full-size US and, if possible, inexpensive point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) systems in children at risk for MASLD to estimate liver fat fraction and classify presence/absence of fatty liver. We anticipate the models will incorporate technical innovations to improve QUS accuracy and efficiency. To develop and test these models, we plan to enroll 120 children who will undergo ultrasound exams using either full-size or POCUS devices. We plan to compare the performance of our QUS models with liver MRI.
Interventions
- Diagnostic test MR exam
Participants will undergo an advanced magnetic resonance (MR) examination of the abdomen and liver. - Diagnostic test US exam
Participants will undergo an abdominal ultrasound (US) examination using a full-size US system. Some participants may undergo a point-of-care abdominal US exam with a handheld US system, if possible. - Other Blood draw
Participants will undergo a blood draw of approximately 25 mL volume. - Other Physical measurements
Participants will have their height, weight and waist circumference measured. Vital signs including respiratory frequency, heart rate, temperature, and blood pressure will be measured. - Other Questionnaires
Participants will be asked to fill out questionnaires to collect information about their prescribed medications, demographics, medical and surgical histories, prior laboratory results, physical activity and lifestyle measures, and potential alcohol intake (AUDIT questionnaire).
Primary outcome measures
- Development and Evaluation of models for liver fat estimation. [Time frame: 5 years]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Age 9 to 18 years
- Presence of risk factors for having MASLD
- Ability and willingness of participant or legal guardian/parent to give written informed consent
- Participant is willing to give written assent
- Able and willing to undergo all study procedures
Exclusion criteria
- Known liver disease other than MASLD
- Pregnant or trying to become pregnant
- Inability to undergo an MR study: weight exceeding scanner table limit, waist circumference > 140 cm, claustrophobie, and/or metal implants.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- University of California San Diego — La Jolla
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06706856 · 809669 · 1R01DK135951-01