The Value Of Renal Measurements By Ultrasound In The Diagnosis Of Chronic Kidney Disease

Objective:To evaluate the value of ultrasound-measured renal length,parenchymal thickness,cortical thickness and medullary area in the diagnosis of chronic renal disease and the relationship between the changes in the renal cortex and medulla and renal function.Methods:A total of 73 subjects with chronic renal disease were selected and divided into 4 groups according to the estimated glomerular filtration rate.Meanwhile,18 healthy persons were selected as control group.Ultrasound parameters including renal length,parenchymal thickness,cortical thickness and medullary area of each subject were assessed.We compared the difference of ultrasound measurements among adjacent groups and analyzed the correlation between ultrasound measurements and glomerular filtration rate.Results:The difference in bilateral renal length and parenchyma thickness between subjects in the 4-5th phase of CKD and the control group was statistically significant(P<0.05).The difference in bilateral renal cortex thickness between subjects in the 2-5th phase of CKD and the control group was statistically significant(P<0.05).The difference in bilateral medullary area between subjects in the 1-5th phase of CKD and the control group was statistically significant(P<0.05).In the case group,the difference in the bilateral renal length and parenchyma thickness between group 4 and group 1 was statistically significant(P<0.05).There was a significant difference in the thickness of the bilateral renal cortex in the fourth groups compared with the rest groups and between group 3 and group 1 also,except for the difference between group 2 and group 1 in the left one(P<0.05).There was a positive correlation between these ultrasound measurements(bilateral renal length,parenchyma thickness,cortical thickness,medullary area)and e GFR(P<0.05).Conclusions:The decrease of renal cortex thickness and medullary area can reflect the renal impairment in the early stage of CKD,cortical thickness measured on ultrasound appears to be more closely related to degree of renal impairment than renal length,and provide the imaging basis for clinical CKD staging.