Relationship between sonographic renal length and renal parenchymal thickness in normal adult southeast Nigerians

ABSTRACT

Aim: To determine the relationship between sonographic renal parenchymal thickness (RPT) and renal length (RL) in normal adult Nigerian. Study design: The RL and RPT of 309 normal subjects within the age range of 18 - 80years were measured sonographically and prospectively. Correlation was performed between RL values and RPT using Pearson Linear `r' test Results: The range of RL value were 8.5-12.9cm and the corresponding mean were 10.33+ 0.7cm and 10.45+ 0.63cm for the right and left kidneys respectively. The range of values for the RPT was 1.40 - 2.4 and the corresponding mean values were 1.91+ 0.20cm and 1.95+ 0.19cm for the right and left kidneys respectively. There was a strong positive correlation between RPT and RL (r = 0.72 and 0.77 for the right and left kidney respectively. However for RL values above 11.0cm the RPT values fluctuated. Conclusion: From this study; for RL above 11.0cm there was no relationship with RPT. The study suggests that for our population groups; kidneys with RL lower than 8.5cm and RPT of 1.40cm or less should not be biopsied in contrast to webb's criteria