RESUMO
A pilot study of the Doppler renal arterial flow pattern was done on 34 patients (68 kidneys) with benign prostatic hypertrophy, 14 patients (28 kidneys) with hydronephrosis and 22 patients (37 kidneys) with reflux nephropathy. Renal scintigraphy was also performed besides the color Doppler scanning.<BR>Results:<BR>Mean minimum blood flow values were significantly smaller in all the subjects than those in normal control groups with one of the three diseases respectively<BR>In patients with reflux nephropathy, minimum blood flow values were extremely low, suggesting the severe scars and scarce blood flow. A high correlation was found between uptake rates measured by renal scintigram and minimum blood flow. This fact suggests that the blood flow scan can reveal the profile of the renal function.<BR>We conclude that the color Doppler sonography is useful in a routine initial examination and a simple follow-up test for detecting renal dysfunction in some urological diseases.
