Color Doppler ultrasonography for the evaluation of renal function of hydronephrotic kidney with no image on intravenous urography and its significance

Objective To investigate the significance of color Doppler ultrasonographic evaluation of renal function of obstructively hydronephrotic kidney with no image on intravenous urography(IVU).Methods A total of 48 patients with chronic severely obstructive hydronephrosis that had no image on IVU were enrolled in this study.The thickness of renal parenchyma and intrarenal arterial resistive index(RI) were examined by color Doppler ultrasound before operation.Then the results were compared with the findings of 24-h drainage flow after percutaneous puncture and pathological examination.Results According to drainage flow,the patients were divided into 3 groups,ie,non-functional,functional improvement and functional recovery groups.The parameters determined in these 3 groups were sequentially as follows:24-h drainage flow was(110±80) ml,(430±50) ml,(720±70) ml,respectively(P0.01);before percutaneous puncture the RI was(0.81±0.01),(0.75±0.01),(0.65±0.03),and the renal parenchyma thickness was(0.18±0.04)cm,(0.35±0.09)cm,(0.44±0.02)cm,respectively;after percutaneous puncture the RI was(0.76±0.04),(0.68±0.02),(0.60±0.04),and the renal parenchyma thickness was(0.46±0.04)cm,(0.53±0.01)cm,(0.68±0.03)cm,respectively.Correlation analysis showed that 24-h drainage flow was significantly associated with RI(P0.05).Conclusions It is suggested that when RI0.81,the probability of recovery was less in renal function of diseased kidney.Color Doppler ultrasonography has an important role in evaluation of renal function of hydronephrotic kidney with no image on IVU.