Sonographic evaluation of renal dimensions in a healthy adult Nigerian population

Abstract

Background: This study is on sonographic evaluation of renal dimensions in the healthy adult Nigerian population.

Aim: The objective of the study was to determine normal dimensions of the kidney sonographically and to correlate the measurements with the sex, age, height, weight and body mass index, in the adult Nigerian population.

Methodology: This was a prospective hospital based ultrasound study of five hundred (500) apparently healthy adults that were 20 years and above as at the time of data collection, Renal dimensions, length, width and cortical renal thickness were measured. A questionnaire was used for inclusion and exclusion criteria. Consent was obtained from the individuals before the study and strict confidentiality was maintained. Descriptive and inferential statistics were deployed to realize the objectives. The data was analyzed using SPSS statistical package version 20.0. The mean, median, variance, standard deviation of the kidney sizes were evaluated and correlated with the age, sex, weight, height and body mass index of the subjects.

Result: The mean right kidney length measured 94.2+8mm for male and 91.8+9mm for females with a range of 64.0-113mm and 76.0-123mm for males and female respectively. The left mean kidney length measured 99.4+8.1mm and 95.5+9.5mm with a range of 76.0-119.0mm and 76.0-114.mm for males and females respectively while the width was 40.7±3.4mm for males and 40.5±3.4mm for females with P values of 0.599mm which is not significant. Mean left kidney width was 44.7±5.8mm for males and 44.5±9.5mm for females with ranges of 33.0-65.0mm and 30.0-61.0mm for males and females respectively with P values of 0.719 which is not significant. Males had a mean renal cortical thickness of 18.3±2.9mm while females had 16.6±2.9mm with P values of 0.000.

Conclusion: The renal cortical thickness in males is greater than in females. The left cortical renal thickness is greater than the right. There is positive correlation of the left cortical renal thickness with age, but not with body mass index and height. Males have greater kidney length than females but the differences in length are not significant. Also, Males have greater kidney width than females. When correlated with age, height, weight and body mass index of the subjects.