Densitometric measurement of renal echogenicity in infants and naked eye evaluation: a comparison

The sonograms of 115 infants with normal renal function ranging in age from 1 to 120 days used to determine renal parenchymal echogenicity by densitometry. The measured values were contrasted with the evaluations of 4 independent examiners who rated renal echogenicity as "less than", "equal to" or "greater than" that of the liver. The results revealed that naked eye evaluation does not permit a clear distinction between the categories of echogenicity and also that the assessments of the individual examiners differed considerably. Contrary to the previously held view the present findings indicate that the initially increased renal parenchymal echogenicity in neonates has developed into the normal hypoechoic condition after 1 month. One should take these findings into account when evaluating renal sonograms of infants, especially if no densitometric data are available.