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Renal resistive index in healthy children
Ayse Murat1, Saadet Akarsu, Huseyin Ozdemir
1Department of Radiology, Firat University, Medical Center, 23119 Elazig, Turkey. aysemmurat@hotmail.com
Insights
Renal resistive index (RI) in children decreases with age, establishing normal ranges for intrarenal arteries. These values stabilize to adult levels by late childhood, aiding in pediatric kidney assessments.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nephrology
- Medical Imaging
- Vascular Ultrasound
Background:
- Renal resistive index (RI) is a Doppler ultrasound parameter reflecting intrarenal arterial pulsatility.
- Establishing age-specific normal values for RI in children is crucial for accurate diagnosis and monitoring of renal conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between age and renal resistive index (RI) in healthy children.
- To determine normal values and ranges of RI in intrarenal arteries of pediatric subjects.
Main Methods:
- Color duplex Doppler sonography was performed on 115 healthy children aged 1 month to 16 years.
- Children were stratified into four age groups for normative data establishment.
- Interlobar or arcuate arteries were assessed for RI measurements.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in RI were observed between younger and older age groups, indicating age dependency.
- RI was highest at birth and gradually declined with increasing age.
- No significant differences in mean RI were found between the right and left kidneys.
Conclusions:
- Renal resistive index (RI) is significantly age-dependent in children.
- RI values gradually decrease from birth and stabilize to adult levels by late childhood.
- These findings provide normative data for evaluating renal vascular health in pediatric populations.
Objective:
The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between age and renal resistive index (RI) and to determine the normal values and ranges of RI in intrarenal arteries in healthy children.
Materials And Method:
Color duplex Doppler sonography of interlobar or arcuate arteries was performed in 115 children without clinical or laboratory pathologic changes of the urinary tract. Of these 115 healthy children, 23 were under 12 months of age (group 1), 24 between 12 and 35 months (group 2), 23 between 36 and 71 months (group 3), and 45 between 72 months and 16 years (group 4). Normative data for RI were established for each age group.
Results:
When age groups were compared, statistically significant differences were observed between age groups 1 and 2 (P=0.007), 1 and 3 (P=0.00), 1 and 4 (P=0.00) and 2 and 4 (P=0.00). No significant differences were observed between age groups 2 and 3 (P=0.452), and 3 and 4 (P=0.078). There was no significant difference between mean RI values of right and left kidney within any age group (P=0.315).
Conclusion:
Results obtained in this study demonstrates that RI is age dependent; it is the highest at birth, from birth declines gradually with increasing age and stabilizes in a certain range (mean RI range regarded as normal for adults) by reaching adult levels.
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