Color Doppler sonography in pyelonephritis
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Updated: Oct 12, 2026

Early Detection of Drug-Induced Renal Hemodynamic Dysfunction Using Sonographic Technology in Rats
Published on: March 11, 2016
1Department of Radiology, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey 17033.
Abstract:
Renal sonography detects abnormality in only 40% of pediatric pyelonephritis. In eight patients shown to have acute pyelonephritis by 99mTc DMSA renal cortical scintigraphy, five were found to have focal abnormalities of renal perfusion by color Doppler sonography in the same sites as the scintigraphic defects (sensitivity-63%). Two of the five patients had normal plain sonograms. False positive studies occurred in patients with documented chronic renal scarring. The specificity of vascular asymmetry was 70%. This preliminary report suggests that, particularly in the patient without pre-existing renal scarring, color Doppler evaluation of the renal vasculature may increase the sensitivity of sonography in the diagnosis of pyelonephritis in children.
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