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CORRESPONDENCE |
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Year : 2020 | Volume
: 28
| Issue : 3 | Page : 195-196 |
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Reply to comment on sonographic portal vein biometry among apparently healthy children in Northeastern Nigeria
Geofery Luntsi1, Kalu Ochie2
1 Department of Medical Radiography, College of Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria 2 Department of Medical Radiography and Radiological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu State, Nigeria
Date of Submission | 24-Apr-2020 |
Date of Decision | 08-May-2020 |
Date of Acceptance | 15-May-2020 |
Date of Web Publication | 15-Aug-2020 |
Correspondence Address: Mr. Geofery Luntsi Department of Medical Radiography, College of Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Borno State Nigeria
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/JMU.JMU_66_20
How to cite this article: Luntsi G, Ochie K. Reply to comment on sonographic portal vein biometry among apparently healthy children in Northeastern Nigeria. J Med Ultrasound 2020;28:195-6 |
How to cite this URL: Luntsi G, Ochie K. Reply to comment on sonographic portal vein biometry among apparently healthy children in Northeastern Nigeria. J Med Ultrasound [serial online] 2020 [cited 2023 Jun 1];28:195-6. Available from: http://www.jmuonline.org/text.asp?2020/28/3/195/292337 |
Dear Editor,
Dr. Mahmood Dhahir Al-Mendalawi is right about his assertion on our research work published in January–March 2020 issue of the Journal of Medical Ultrasound,[1] which was aimed at determining the mean portal vein diameter, based on age, gender, and anthropometric indices among a cohort of apparently healthy Nigerian children aged 0–18 years. Previous studies both locally and internationally using a similar method reported similar findings,[2],[3],[4],[5],[6] as shown in [Table 1].
We explicitly stated the few limitations we thought were necessary and in line with the scope of our study “that only the diameter of the portal vein was measured and not the portal vein flow velocity, that this was also a single-center study, and the findings were not specific as no other imaging modalities or laboratory investigations were used to confirm our findings.”[1]
We, however, agree with the author (s) that there are ethnic differences in terms of various organ sizes, thus the need for population-specific sonographic normative data of various organs to guide research and clinical practice.[8],[9],[10],[11],[12] However, racial[13],[14] and even geographical[15],[16] variations among others could as well be the confounding factor in the results. As such, this was not the focus of our study and such considerations were not put in place. We also believe that the author (s) will agree with us that no single study can answer all the questions that there is to answer. We appreciate the author (s) for their interest in our research work and hope that our little contribution will guide future research works.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
References | |  |
1. | Luntsi G, Umar RD, Ivor CN, Zira JD, Ahidjo A. Sonographic portal vein biometry in apparently healthy children in Northeastern Nigeria. J Med Ultrasound 2020;28:24-8. [Full text] |
2. | Usman AU, Ibinaiye P, Ahidjo A, Tahir A, Sa'ad ST, Mustapha Z, et al. Ultrasound determination of portal vein diameter in adult patients with chronic liver disease in North Eastern Nigeria. Sub Saharan Afr J Med 2015;2:57-63. |
3. | Adeyekun AA, Tsebi HB. Grey scale sonographic assessment of portal vein diameter in healthy Nigerian adults. J Med Biomed Res 2014;13:17-24. |
4. | Luntsi G, Sani M, Zira JD, Ivor NC, Garba SH. Sonographic assessment of the portal vein diameter in apparently healthy adults in a Northern Nigerian population. Afr Health Sci 2016;16:1163-8. |
5. | Bhattacharya J, Aditi D, Anish B. Sonographic assessment of portal vein diameter in Northern part of West Bengal, India. Octa J Environ Res 2013;1:2314. |
6. | Vocke AK, Kardoff R, Ehrich JH. Sonographic measurement of the portal vein and its intrahepatic branches in children. Eur J Ultrasound 1998;7:121-7. |
7. | Ghosh T, Banerjee M, Basu S, Das R, Kumar P, De S, et al. Assessment of normal portal vein diameter in children. Trop Gastroenterol 2014;35:79-84. |
8. | Sletner L, Nakstad B, Yajnik CS, Mørkrid K, Vangen S, Vårdal MH. et al. Ethnic differences in neonatal body composition in a multi ethnic population and the impact of parental factors: A population based cohort study. PLoS One 8(8):e73058. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073058. |
9. | Eze CU, Eze CU, Marchie TT, Ohagwu CC, Ochie K. Observer variability in sonographic measurement of kidney sizes among children in Benin-city, Nigeria. West Indian Med J 2013;62:817-24. |
10. | Warnakulasuriya DT, Peries PP, Rathnasekara YA, Jayawardena K, Upasena A, Wickremasinghe AR. Ultrasonographic parameters of the liver, spleen and kidneys among a cohort of school children in Sri Lanka. BMC Pediatr 2017;17:192. |
11. | Lee S, Bountziouka V, Lum S, Stocks J, Bonner R, Naik M, et al. Ethnic variability in body size, proportions and composition in children aged 5 to 11 years: Is ethnic-specific calibration of bioelectrical impedance required? PLoS One 2014;9:E113883. |
12. | Su HA, Hsieh HY, Lee CT, Liao SC, Chu CH, Wu CH. Reference ranges for ultrasonographic renal dimensions as functions of age and body indices: A retrospective observational study in Taiwan. PLoS One 2019;14:e0224785. |
13. | Rocha SMS, Ferrer APS, Oliveira IRS, Widman A, Chammas MC, Oliveira LAN, et al. Sonographic determination of liver size in healthy newborns, infants and children under 7 years of age. Radiol Bras. 2009;42:7-13. doi.org/10.1590/S0100-39842009000100004. |
14. | Safak AA, Simsek E, Bahcebasi T. Sonographic assessment of the normal limits and percentile curves of liver, spleen, and kidney dimensions in healthy school-aged children. J Ultrasound Med 2005;24:1359-64. |
15. | Özmen Z, Aktaş F, Özmen ZC, Almus E, Demir O. Ultrasound measurement of liver longitudinal length in a North Anatolian population: A community-based study. Niger J Clin Pract 2018;21:653-7. |
16. | Leary S, Fall C, Osmond C, Lovel H, Campbell D, Eriksson J, et al. Geographical variation in relationships between parental body size and offspring phenotype at birth. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2006;85:1066-79. |
[Table 1]
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