IMAGE-DIRECTED COLOR DOPPLER ULTRASONOGRAPHY OF KIDNEY IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS NEPHRITIS

We evaluated intrarenal arterial waveforms with image-directed color D oppler ultrasonography in 21 patients with systemic lupus erythematosu s (SLE). The systolic-diastolic ratio, resistive index, and pulsatilit y index were compared with serum creatinine levels, creatinine clearan ce, and quantitation of urinary protein excretion, as well as with his topathologic scores of specimens obtained from 9 patients who underwen t renal biopsy. Doppler parameters were in the normal ranges in all pa tients, without showing significant correlation with any of the histop athologic scores or laboratory parameters except creatinine levels. We conclude that image-directed color Doppler ultrasonography is of no p ractical value in the evaluation of lupus nephritis during the early s tages of the disease. (C) 1995 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.