2D Shear wave elastography for evaluation of renal cortex and medulla: stiffness values in healthy children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nephrology
• Medical Imaging
• Biophysics

Background:

• Assessing kidney health in children is crucial for early detection of disease.
• Renal stiffness can be an indicator of kidney function and health.
• 2D Shear-wave elastography (SWE) is a non-invasive imaging technique to measure tissue stiffness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate renal cortical and medullary stiffness in healthy children using 2D Shear-wave elastography (SWE).
• To determine if renal stiffness in children correlates with age.
• To investigate the relationship between cortical and medullary stiffness in pediatric kidneys.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving healthy children aged 4 months to 17 years.
• Bilateral kidneys were assessed for stiffness at upper, mid, and lower poles using 2D SWE.
• Median stiffness values (kPa) for cortex and medulla were recorded and analyzed.

Main Results:

• Renal cortical stiffness ranged from 7.3 to 9.6 kPa, and medullary stiffness ranged from 6.8 to 12.5 kPa across age groups.
• No statistically significant differences in renal cortical or medullary stiffness were found among different age groups (p>0.05).
• A significant positive correlation was observed between SWE values of the renal cortex and medulla in both right (ρ=0.64) and left (ρ=0.61) kidneys.

Conclusions:

• Renal cortical and medullary stiffness in healthy children, measured by SWE, is independent of age.
• There is a significant correlation between the stiffness of the renal cortex and medulla in pediatric kidneys.
• SWE is a promising tool for evaluating renal tissue properties in children.