Elastography—A Bona Fide Non-Invasive Method for Assessing Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Children

Pediatric obesity has become a major public health problem worldwide, resulting in wide spectrum of systemic complications. Liver disease associated with obesity, also known as nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD), is currently the most common chronic condition children. Therefore, its timely and proper diagnosis essential for preventing further development cirrhosis. Multiple studies focused on identifying accurate non-invasive diagnostic method fibrosis or Although biopsy remains gold-standard terms this hepatopathy, elastography methods emerged relatively reliable alternative to biopsy. Thus, recent revealed great importance these not only diagnosing pediatric NAFLD, but staging. MRE commonly considered have greater accuracy than ultrasound-based methods, lower availability higher costs. Ultrasound-based (transient (TE), p-SWE, 2-dimensional shear wave (2D-SWE)) were proved similar NAFLD Nevertheless, multiple confounding factors account potential challenges when using stiffness measurement, such age, itself (i.e., BMI), transaminase levels, portal flow. A solution facing might be represented by complex approach based combination between elastography, clinical laboratory findings. that assessed role staging are scarce, current knowledge underlines crucial techniques taking into their ability distinguish degrees, patterns, costs side effects compared cornerstone NAFLD.