Kidney ultrasound - interpretation of the norm: position, dimensions

In most cases, ultrasound can be described as a fully informative and sufficient diagnostic method in order to determine the kidney disease and to prescribe adequate treatment, including the exclusion of pathology during screening examinations. The price of ultrasound of the kidneys is quite acceptable, it must be specified in the registry of the medical institution.

The device for performing ultrasound examinations allows the doctor to determine several important parameters during the examination: the state of the blood flow, the size of the organ, signs of inflammation, the state of the parenchyma structure, the presence of concrements in the cavities, and malignant or benign neoplasms.

What indicators are investigated?

• The number of kidneys.
• Dimensions of the organ.
• Its localization.
• Form and contours.
• The structure of the renal parenchyma.
• Blood flow condition.

Let's consider these parameters in more detail.

amount

In this article, we'll figure out how to decipher the ultrasound of the kidneys.

The norm for a person is the presence of a pair of kidneys, but one can also find anomalies. There may be a congenital absence of one of them, the so-called agenesis (unilateral aplasia). Or the kidney could be removed by surgery. You can also meet the congenital duplication of the organ, most often it is one-sided.

Location:

The normal location of the kidneys can be called their location at different levels relative to each other. Right, D, is located at the level of the 2nd lumbar vertebra and the 12th thoracic vertebra, and the left one, L, is located at the level of the 1st lumbar vertebra and the 11th thoracic vertebra.

Ultrasound examination of the kidney in a woman helps to identify nephroptosis (omission) or dystopia, that is, its atypical location in the small pelvis. The normal form of the kidney is bean-shaped with a flat contour and a clear view of the fibrous capsule, which is the outer shell of the organ. The sizes in norm at pregnant women others, as during this period there is an extension of a kidney on two centimeters. Also, a small extension of the pelvis and ureter is permissible.

Dimensions in adults

Physiological norm of kidney size in an adult is 40-50 mm in thickness, 50-60 mm in width, 100-120 mm in length. However, these indicators may vary slightly depending on the sex and growth of the patient.

The thickness of the parenchyma layer is another important parameter when deciphering ultrasound of the kidneys. The norm is 18-25 mm. Nevertheless, this indicator depends on the person's age. For the elderly, it is possible to reduce it to 11 mm, which is associated with sclerotic changes. The parenchyma is a tissue in which nephrons, structural-functional units are located. If the index of its thickness increases, it can indicate inflammation or swelling of the body, and if it decreases, then it may be about his dystrophy.

Dimensions in children

Conduction of ultrasound for a newborn child is necessary in case of high probability of abnormal development of internal organs due to heredity, severe pregnancy and childbirth, changes in the baby's urine. Ultrasonography of kidneys for children in the elderly age is prescribed after the detection of abnormalities in the tests, with complaints of pain in the lower back or lower abdomen, due to trauma, with violation of urination.

In children, the size of the kidneys depends on height and age. If the growth is less than 80 cm, then only 2 parameters are measured: the width and length of the organ. A child of 100 cm is measured, in addition, and the thickness of the parenchyma.

The kidneys increase in size with acute glomerulonephritis or pyelonephritis, as well as loss of parity, since in this case the organ will experience an increased functional load.

When deciphering ultrasound of the kidneys, the norm is the clear detection of the boundary of the pyramids of the parenchymal layer. Their echogenicity should be lower than that of the parenchyma. If such a difference is not found during the examination, this may indicate hydronephrosis.

Echogenicity of the parenchyma

This indicator determines the state and structure of the kidney tissue, which is normally homogeneous.

Echogenicity is the degree of intensity of reflection from the tissues of the sound wave. Reflection is more intense, and the image on the monitor is lighter when the parenchyma is denser. In low-density tissues ehogennost weak, with visualization in the form of dark areas.

Air and fluids are anechogenous. For example, a cavity cyst containing a fluid is described by a specialist as an anechogenous formation. For sclerotic processes, on the contrary, hyperechoinality is characteristic.

CSL

The pelvic or tubular system or cavity system is responsible for the function of collecting urine. With the help of renal ultrasound in men, the following types of changes in it are diagnosed: the presence of concrements (sand, stones), pyelonephritis (inflammatory compaction of the mucous pelvis). Also, the expansion of CLS may indicate calicoectasia, pyeloectasia, tumors, ureteral obstruction and hydronephrosis.

The norm for the cup-and-pelvis system is its anehogenicity. Stones, the size of which is 4-5 mm and more, in conclusion, ultrasound describes how echogenic formation, hyperechoic inclusion, echogen. The presence of sand in the body is called microcalculosis.

Kidney blood flow

To visualize the blood vessels of the organ, use duplex scanning, in which the ultrasound scanner provides information in a spectral chart or color image. This technique is painless and non-invasive. Therefore, it can be used for kidney examination in children. Ultrasound determines the condition of the walls of the vessels, the presence of stenoses and intravascular obstructions, as well as the speed of blood flow. Its normal variation is from 50 to 150 cm / sec.

For a color scheme, the dark tones are considered normal, and the bright color fixes the accelerated blood flow, indicating the presence of stenosis, the main feature of which is an increase in the rate in the renal artery (200 cm / sec). An index of blood flow resistance, depending directly on the person's age, is also determined. He is the higher the patient is the older. For the renal artery, the norm of the resistance index is 0.7, and for the arteries of the interlobar - 0.34-0.74.

Detection of pathological lesions

In order to confirm the trauma of the kidneys, ultrasound is also used. There are 5 categories of injuries of this body. They differ in the degree of violations:

• Minimally damaged organ, there are no ruptures (detection of subcapsular hematoma of the kidney);
• Cortical substance is broken;
• Cortical substance is broken more than a centimeter, while contrasting is not observed;
• Broken bowel-ureter segment;
• Damaged vascular pedicle or it is detached from the vessels and ureter.

Explanation of results

Decoding of ultrasound of the kidneys, the norms of which are given above, should be performed by a urologist. The conclusion is usually accompanied by a sonogram or an attached ultrasound photo, on which arrows mark the place where pathological changes are detected. If a video of ultrasound is attached to the detection of vascular changes or tumors, it will help to make the correct diagnosis.

Deviations detected by ultrasound

The most informative is ultrasound diagnostics in the detection of diseases such as renal vessels, nephroptosis, amyloidosis, narrowing of ureters, organ dystrophy, abscesses, cysts, tumors, hydronephrosis, stone formation, inflammatory processes (glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis).

When the ultrasound "expressed intestinal pneumatosis" is indicated in the conclusion, this means that the survey performed is uninformative because of flatulence. In this case, ultrasound will need to be repeated, pre-prepared, that is, after drinking the carminative drugs.

Kidney ultrasound: the price

The cost of this study is completely dependent on the chosen clinic and the region. If you conduct an ultrasound in the direction of a doctor, then it can be free. In a private specialized center in Moscow, the average price ranges from 500 rubles to 3500. In regions, the cost will be somewhat lower, but not significantly. You can pay for the research from 350 rubles to 2500.

From this article, you learned about ultrasound, about the norms of its indicators, as well as about kidney disorders that can be detected during the examination.