{
  "abstract": "Background: Transabdominal ultrasonographic measurement of rectal diameter is increasingly used as a non-invasive adjunct for assessing rectal distension and fecal loading in children. However, interpretation is limited by the lack of age-stratified reference data in pediatric populations without bowel dysfunction. This study aimed to characterize the distribution of the laterolateral (LL) rectal diameter across childhood and adolescence and provide preliminary age-stratified empirical reference percentiles. Methods: This single-center cross-sectional study included pediatric participants aged ≤18 years who underwent clinically indicated abdominal ultrasonography for reasons unrelated to bowel or anorectal disorders and fulfilled predefined eligibility criteria. Maximal LL rectal diameter was measured transabdominally using a standardized protocol. Empirical percentiles were calculated for four age groups (6-36, 37-72, 73-144, and 145-216 months), with precision assessed using non-parametric bootstrap resampling with 10,000 repetitions. Results: The cohort comprised 188 participants: 46, 43, 62, and 37 in the four age groups, respectively; 107 (56.9%) were boys. Overall LL rectal diameter was 3.55 ± 1.46 cm (median, 3.20 cm; IQR, 2.50-4.30 cm), ranging from 1.01 to 8.00 cm. The LL diameter differed significantly across age groups (p = 0.002), with mean values increasing from 3.02 cm in the youngest group to 3.96 cm in the oldest group. No significant sex-related difference was observed (p = 0.843). P5-P95 ranges were 1.60-4.90, 1.51-5.89, 2.20-6.59, and 2.27-7.00 cm, respectively. Bootstrap confidence intervals were wider for extreme percentiles, particularly in smaller age strata. Conclusions: LL rectal diameter shows substantial interindividual variability and a modest age-related increase during childhood. These findings provide preliminary age-stratified empirical reference data rather than diagnostic thresholds or definitive normative limits. Larger multicenter studies are needed for external validation and more precise estimation of extreme percentiles.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Institute of Anatomy \"Niko Miljanic\", Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.",
    "Department of Radiology, University Children's Hospital, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.",
    "Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.",
    "National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London SW3 6LY, UK.",
    "Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Foca, University of East Sarajevo, 73300 Foča, Bosnia and Herzegovina.",
    "Department of Urology, University Children's Hospital, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.",
    "Institute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Aleksandra Pucar"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Sofija Cvejić"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Darko Laketić",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8228-8041"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Dubravka Milutinović"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Luka Đjoković",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3405-3859"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Teodora Pecarski"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Matija Bećirović"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Radmila Balaban Đurević"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        5
      ],
      "name": "Zoran Radojičić"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Nataša Milić"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a6ptdtxq3pccc.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/diagnostics16193236",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13664373",
  "id": "a6ptdtxq3pccc",
  "issns": [
    "2075-4418"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42882390",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2715|Gastrointestinal motility and disorders"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220836433",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13664373?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13664373",
  "pmid": "42882390",
  "published": "2026-10-07",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a6ptdtxq3pccc.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:00Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42882390",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42882390"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2715|Gastrointestinal motility and disorders",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Age-Specific Ultrasound Reference Data for the Laterolateral Rectal Diameter in Healthy Children.",
  "title_text": "Age-Specific Ultrasound Reference Data for the Laterolateral Rectal Diameter in Healthy Children.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:00Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a6ptdtxq3pccc",
  "venue": "Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)",
  "versions": []
}