DUPLEX-DOPPLER ESTIMATION OF INTRARENAL POURCELOT RESISTIVE INDEX IN DOGS AND CATS WITH RENAL-DISEASE

In human beings, intrarenal blood flow impedance, expressed as the res istive index (RI) and obtained by duplex Doppler ultrasonography, has been used to aid in diagnosis and prognosis of renal failure. Higher t han normal values for RI were obtained in 3 of 4 dogs with acute tubul ar necrosis (ATN) and in 5 of 10 dogs with glomerulonephrosis (GN), No rmalization of RI was observed in 2 dogs with ATN evaluated serially d uring treatment. Increased RI values were obtained in 9 of 10 cats wit h nonobstructive renal disease and in 2 of 5 cats with obstructive ren al disease. Normalization of RI was observed in 3 cats with renal fail ure in which treatment was effective (1 with obstruction; 2 with nonob structive disease). The magnitude of increase in RI did not correlate with the magnitude of concurrent renal dysfunction. These results sugg est that duplex Doppler evaluation of intrarenal RI is more useful as an ancillary diagnostic technique in azotemic dogs with ATN than in th ose with GN and in azotemic cats with nonobstructive than in those wit h obstructive disease. Copyright (C) 1997 by the American College of V eterinary Internal Medicine.