Résumé
Objective To observe the B- ultrasonic (B-US) renal changes of chronic aristolochic acid nephropathy (CAAN) patients and to determine its value in disease diagnosis. Methods The renal B-US data of 124 CAAN patients were retrospectively studied. The relationship between the B-US characteristics and the renal function was tested. Clinicopathological data of 19 CAAN patients underwent renal biopsy were compared with those of 18 patients with chronic tubulointerstitial nephropathy due to none-aristolochic acid causes (non-AAN-CTIN). Results The characteristics of renal B-US changes in CAAN patients included diminished parenchyma thickness (90.3%), atrophy of the kidney (62.90%) and asymmetrically shrinked kidneys (17.74%). The renal B-US markers, including the longitude, the volume and the parenchyma thickness, were closely associated with the level of Scr, eGFR and the function of renal tubules (P