The radiographic estimation of the kidney in normal Korean children

ABSTRACT

The radiographic measurement of the renal size and position provide important information of disease of thekidney and the adjacent organs. The author analyzed the 213 cases of intravenous pyelography of normal Koreanchildren from 0 to 18 years of age (135 males and 78 females) and measured the following points; the length of thekidney, the width of the kidney, the level of both hila, and the ratio of the kidney length to the total height ofupper 4 lumbar vertebral bodies plus intervertebral discs. The results were obtained as follows; 1. Above 4 yearsof age, the annual increase rate of the kidney length was 0.31cm, and that of the height of lumbar vertebrae was0.44cm in male and 0.55 cm in female; the height of lumbar vertebrae grew more rapidly than the kidney length. 2.The age group of the most rapid growth in the length and the width of the kidney was 16 to 18 years of age inmale, and 13 to 15 years of age in female, and that of the most delayed growth was 4 to 6 years of age in bothsexes. 3. The size of the left kidney was usually larger than that of the right. But, the right kidney was largerthan the left in 20% of the cases. 4. The right hilum was usually lower than that of the left. In the 12% of thecases, however, the right hilum was higher in position than the left. 5. The width of the kidney in most childrencorresponded to the 45 to 60% of the kidney length. 6. The kidney size in age group between 16 and 18 years waswithin the range of that of normal adults. 7. The ratios of the kidney length to the height of upper 4 lumbarvertebral bodies plus intrevertebral discs were as follows; > 1.1 below 3 years of age. 1±0.1 between 4 and 12 years of age. > 0.9 above 13 years of age.