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 WIT 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.