The normal reference values and estimation formulae of renal structural parameters in Chinese children based on...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Renal Physiology

Background:

• Accurate assessment of kidney development and disease in children is crucial for effective clinical management.
• Establishing normative data for renal structural parameters (RSPs) in pediatric populations is essential for accurate diagnosis.
• Existing reference values for RSPs may not be universally applicable, necessitating population-specific data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine normal reference values for various renal structural parameters (RSPs) in a large cohort of Chinese children.
• To develop estimation formulas for RSPs based on readily available clinical data (age, height, weight).
• To provide a valuable data resource for the clinical assessment of kidney development and disease in Chinese children.

Main Methods:

• Utilized computed tomography (CT) data from 438 Chinese children aged 0-17 years with normal renal imaging.
• Measured bilateral RSPs including renal length, width, thickness, volume, cortical thickness, and artery diameter.
• Employed statistical analyses including Pearson correlation, Kendall's rank correlation, paired t-tests, and multiple linear regression.

Main Results:

• Renal structural parameters (RSPs) generally increase with age, with height showing the strongest correlation.
• No significant correlation was found between RSPs and sex.
• Established estimation formulas for RSPs, demonstrating significant linear relationships with age, height, and weight.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first large-sample CT-based reference values and estimation formulas for RSPs in Chinese children.
• The developed formulas and reference ranges offer crucial data for evaluating kidney growth and disease in pediatric patients.
• These findings contribute to improved diagnostic accuracy and clinical decision-making in pediatric nephrology and radiology.