Sonographic measurements for kidney length in normal Saudi children: Correlation with other body parameters

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Ultrasonography provides a quick assessment of visceral organ dimensions without any risk of radiation. Since many diseases can affect the kidney size, having a reliable reference for kidney length in children is valuable for clinical assessment. OBJECTIVES: Establish normal growth curves for renal length in relation to sex, age, body weight, height, body mass index and body surface area of healthy children in Saudi Arabia. DESIGN: Retrospective review of ultrasonography images. SETTING: Tertiary referral hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included all normal ultrasonography exams of renal length from full-term neonates to children ≤14 years old performed between 2003 and 2018. Data was collected retrospectively from the electronic archive and patient records. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Relationship between the longitudinal length of both kidneys and age, height, weight, body mass index and body surface area. SAMPLE SIZE: 950 patients. RESULTS: The left kidneys were longer than the right kidneys (P