[Ultrasound in terminal renal failure--etiologic conclusions?]

Using standard real time sonography, renal cortical echogenicity, renal length, intrarenal cystic structures and renal calculi were evaluated in 63 patients (30 men, 33 women) in end-stage renal parenchymal diseases (glomerulonephritis n = 21, diabetic glomerulosclerosis n = 9, analgesic nephropathy n = 14, chronic atrophic pyelonephritis n = 19). Patients with glomerulonephritis and diabetic glomerulosclerosis presented with larger kidneys and only slightly increased cortical echogenicity as compared to analgesic nephropathy and chronic atrophic pyelonephritis. In addition, intrarenal cystic structures were found in 50% of the patients with analgesic nephropathy and in 31% of the patients with pyelonephritis, compared with only 14% and 11% in patients with glomerulonephritis and diabetic glomerulosclerosis, respectively. Intrarenal calcifications were more frequent in pyelonephritis and analgesic nephropathy. In end-stage renal parenchymal disease, sonography might be able to distinguish between different types of renal medical disorders.