Adrenal gland and renal sonography

Ultrasound (US) is an established imaging modality for the assessment of the kidneys and adrenal glands. The advantages include its lack of ionizing radiation, speed, multiplanar real time evaluation, and cost compared with more expensive modalities. The addition of color Doppler also permits accurate evaluation of blood flow, which is especially useful in renal assessment. As with all sonography, both renal and adrenal US are highly dependent on the operator's skill and experience and require meticulous scanning techniques. In particular, adrenal sonography can be difficult due to the lack of a satisfactory acoustic window through which the incident US beam passes. This review summarizes the various morphologic appearances seen in common renal and adrenal pathologies, many of which have characteristic US appearances enabling accurate diagnosis.