RESUMO
PURPOSE: To determine kidney sizes among Nigerian children using ultrasonography to provide local reference data that could be compared with renal growth charts when assessing kidneys of Nigerian children for growth or pathology. METHODS: The study design was cross-sectional and a convenience sampling technique was used to select a sample. Consent was obtained from participants and ethical approval was obtained from the local ethics committee. A DP-1100 sector scanner with a 3.5 MHz probe was used for the study. Sonographers measured kidney length, width, and thickness and calculated renal volume. Renal sizes were correlated with somatometric parameters. Regression equations were derived for each pair of variables. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was found in kidney sizes between male and female participants or between length, width, or volume of right and left kidneys. A strong correlation was found between kidney length and volume and the participant's age and body mass index. CONCLUSION: This study has provided values of kidney sizes in a normal Nigerian pediatric population. Regression equations also were derived for easy computation of kidney sizes.
