Sonographic renal length in Indian children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nephrology
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Biometry

Background:

• Establishing reference ranges for kidney size is crucial for diagnosing pediatric renal conditions.
• Ultrasonography is a non-invasive imaging modality widely used in pediatric diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the normal range of ultrasonographic renal length in Indian children under five years of age.
• To investigate potential correlations between renal length and various anthropometric parameters.

Main Methods:

• Sonographic evaluation of renal length in 240 Indian children (137 boys, 103 girls) under five years old.
• Measurements were taken in the supine position.
• Statistical analysis was performed to compare sexes and correlate with age, height, weight, and body surface area.

Main Results:

• Left renal length increased from 59.18 mm in infancy to 81.89 mm by 4-5 years in girls, with similar trends in boys.
• No statistically significant difference in renal length was observed between boys and girls across age groups (p > 0.05).
• The right kidney was consistently smaller than the left by 1-3.5 mm (p < 0.05 to 0.0002).
• Renal length showed a positive correlation with age, length/height, body weight, and body surface area.

Conclusions:

• This study provides valuable ultrasonographic renal length norms for healthy Indian children under five.
• Age and anthropometric factors significantly influence renal length in this population.
• The consistent finding of a smaller right kidney warrants consideration in clinical assessments.