Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
182,544 studies31 sourcesUpdated 40 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BYDiagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)

Age-Specific Ultrasound Reference Data for the Laterolateral Rectal Diameter in Healthy Children.

  • Aleksandra Pucar1
  • Sofija Cvejić2
  • Darko Laketić1
  • Dubravka Milutinović2
  • Luka Đjoković3
  • Teodora Pecarski4
  • Matija Bećirović3
  • Radmila Balaban Đurević5
  • Zoran Radojičić3,6
  • Nataša Milić7
7 affiliations
  1. 1Institute of Anatomy "Niko Miljanic", Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
  2. 2Department of Radiology, University Children's Hospital, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
  3. 3Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
  4. 4National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London SW3 6LY, UK.
  5. 5Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Foca, University of East Sarajevo, 73300 Foča, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  6. 6Department of Urology, University Children's Hospital, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
  7. 7Institute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
Read full textPDFDOICite

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.

Related

  1. Age-specific reference intervals for serum IgG, IgA, and IgM in healthy Brazilian children and adolescents
    Cristina Frias Sartorelli Toledo Piza, Carolina Sanchez Aranda, Ligia Maria de Oliveira Machado +7
    Frontiers in ImmunologyPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textPhysiologyCrossrefPMC
  2. Ultrasound reference value of frontal-occipital horn ratio for neonates born at 25–41 gestational weeks
    Aziguli Mayier, Yijia Liu, Dongmei Liu +5
    Scientific ReportsPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Full textObstetrics, gynaecology & paediatricsCrossref
  3. A z-score-based reference system for renal volume using three-dimensional ultrasound: from model to clinical tool
    Wu Zhou, Ting Zhang, Hongyan Chen +5
    Quantitative imaging in medicine and surgeryPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDFull textMedical imaging & radiologyEurope PMC
  4. Comparative analysis of intracranial pressure prediction models using optic nerve sheath diameter and additional ultrasound metrics
    Mingqing Cheng, Tingting Liu, Geng Guo +5
    Scientific ReportsPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textNeurologyDOAJ
  5. Rectal diameter measured by transabdominal ultrasonography for monitoring treatment response in children with functional constipation
    Duc Long Tran, Nitikarn Pinyoying, Palittiya Sintusek
    World Journal of Clinical PediatricsPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC 4.0Full textGeneral medicinePMC

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{pucar2026agespecific,
  title = {{Age-Specific Ultrasound Reference Data for the Laterolateral Rectal Diameter in Healthy Children.}},
  author = {Aleksandra Pucar and Sofija Cvejić and Darko Laketić and Dubravka Milutinović and Luka Đjoković and Teodora Pecarski and Matija Bećirović and Radmila Balaban Đurević and Zoran Radojičić and Nataša Milić},
  journal = {Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3390/diagnostics16193236},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42882390},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Age-Specific Ultrasound Reference Data for the Laterolateral Rectal Diameter in Healthy Children.
AU  - Aleksandra Pucar
AU  - Sofija Cvejić
AU  - Darko Laketić
AU  - Dubravka Milutinović
AU  - Luka Đjoković
AU  - Teodora Pecarski
AU  - Matija Bećirović
AU  - Radmila Balaban Đurević
AU  - Zoran Radojičić
AU  - Nataša Milić
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/07
JO  - Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)
DO  - 10.3390/diagnostics16193236
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42882390
AB  - 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.
SN  - 2075-4418
ER  -