SONOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT OF RENAL LENGTH IN CHILDREN - A REAPPRAISAL

Ultrasonography (US) has largely replaced the intravenous urogram as t he first modality for the evaluation of the kidneys in children suspec ted of having urinary tract abnormalities. Because many renal disorder s are associated with changes in the sizes of the kidneys, normative s tandards for assessing renal size have been developed. These standards rely upon comparison of the renal lengths or calculated volumes or bo th, with various assessments of overall body size, including body surf ace area, weight, height, and chronological age. We discuss some of th e limitations of US in assessing renal size in children. Practical rec ommendations are offered for optimizing the measurement and interpreta tion of sonographic renal sizes in children.