NCT06932445

Effect of Malnutrition on Liver and Spleen Stiffness in Children

Impact of Malnutrition on Liver and Spleen Stiffness in Children Evaluated by Shear Wave Elastography

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 300 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Mehmet Akif AĞIR · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 1 Month – 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This prospective observational study aims to evaluate the effect of malnutrition on liver and spleen stiffness in children using shear wave elastography. Two groups of participants will be enrolled: children diagnosed with malnutrition and age-matched healthy controls. Organ stiffness measurements will be compared between the two groups to assess the impact of malnutrition on liver and spleen tissue properties.

Detailed description

This is a prospective observational study designed to investigate the effect of malnutrition on liver and spleen stiffness in children. The study will include two groups: children diagnosed with malnutrition according to WHO criteria, and age- and sex-matched healthy controls without any known chronic illness. All participants will undergo shear wave elastography (SWE) to measure liver and spleen stiffness using standardized ultrasound protocols. Measurements will be performed by a pediatric radiologist blinded to the nutritional status of the participants. The primary objective is to compare organ stiffness values between malnourished children and healthy controls. Secondary analyses will explore correlations between severity of malnutrition and stiffness values. The study aims to provide non-invasive insights into early organ-level changes associated with pediatric malnutrition.

Conditions

• Malnutrition in Children
• Liver Stiffness
• Spleen Stiffness
• Shear Wave Elastography

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIAGNOSTIC_TEST	Shear Wave Elastography	Shear wave elastography will be used to measure liver and spleen stiffness in all participants. The procedure will be performed using standard ultrasound-based elastography protocols by a pediatric radiologist.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-04-10
• Primary completion: 2025-05-15
• Completion: 2025-05-20
• First posted: 2025-04-17
• Last updated: 2025-04-17

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)