Sonographic Measurement of Renal Parenchymal Thickness in Healthy Adults

Background:Renal parenchymal thickness (RPT) was found to be a vital parameter that can offer prognostic information on end-stage kidneys diseases. The aim of the current study was to establish normal RPT value in our population; and to reveal its relationship with age, height, and weight.

Method:It was a cross-sectional analytic study conducted in the department of radiology/Azaditeaching hospital at Kirkuk city, where the sonographic assessment of RPT was performed from January 2016 to May 2018 for 253 adults with different complaints; Individuals with history of medical disorders/drugs known to affect the kidney, malignancy, pregnancy, those who had renal variant/pathology during ultrasound examination and abnormal laboratory tests were excluded from the study. Differences of RPT between two sides and gender were assessed with student ‘ s t-test, and its correlation with age, height, and weight were assessed with the Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r).

Results:In males, the mean value (SD) of right RPT was 18.2(3.2) mm, and left RPT was 18.9(3) mm. In females, it was 16.4(2.4)mm in the right kidney and 16.9 (2.4) mm in left kidney. There was no statistical difference between RPT of the right and left kidneys (p = 0.0001). The RPT was significantly thicker in males (18.6 mm versus 16.7 mm) (P= 0.0001). There was significant moderate and strong negative correlation with age in right and left kidney respectively. There was a positive correlation with a person’s height and weight which was significant(P= 0.00001).

Conclusion:Our population parenchymal thickness values are different from others, it is 18.6 mm male and 16.7 mm in female, parenchyma is considered thin if it was less than 13 mm in males and 10 mm in females, its decreased with age, taller and more obese persons have thicker parenchyma on both sides.