Diagnostics
Age-Specific Ultrasound Reference Data for the Laterolateral Rectal Diameter in Healthy Children
By Aleksandra Pucar, Sofija Cvejic, Darko Laketić and 7 others.
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.