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Abstract

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) in combination with fecal biomarkers in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Methodology: This retrospective cohort analysis included clinical data from children who underwent SWE and fecal biomarker testing at Xi’an Children’s Hospital from January 2022 to December 2023 for confirmed or suspected IBD. In this study, 120 children diagnosed with IBD were matched with a non-IBD cohort in a 1:1 ratio. Fecal biomarkers and SWE parameters of both groups were analyzed.
Results: The levels of fecal calprotectin (FC), fecal lactoferrin (FL), Limberg score, elastic modulus standard deviation (SD), and Young’s modulus values in the IBD group were higher than those in the non-IBD group (P < 0.05). Spearman’s test confirmed a significant positive correlation between the severity of IBD and the levels of FC, FL, Limberg score, elastic modulus SD value, and Young’s modulus value (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis identified high FC, FL, elastic modulus SD values, and Young’s modulus values as significant risk factors for a poor prognosis in IBD (P < 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that the combined value of the above four indicators for predicting poor prognosis in children with IBD is higher than that of each individual indicator.
Conclusions: SWE combined with fecal biomarkers testing has high diagnostic and prognostic value in children with IBD.