Korean J Radiol.  2013 Aug;14(4):677-682. 10.3348/kjr.2013.14.4.677.

Length and Volume of Morphologically Normal Kidneys in Korean Children: Ultrasound Measurement and Estimation Using Body Size

• Kim JH
• Kim MJ
• Lim SH
• Kim J
• Lee MJ

• KMID: 1715774
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/kjr.2013.14.4.677

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relationship between anthropometric measurements and renal length and volume measured with ultrasound in Korean children who have morphologically normal kidneys, and to create simple equations to estimate the renal sizes using the anthropometric measurements.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We examined 794 Korean children under 18 years of age including a total of 394 boys and 400 girls without renal problems. The maximum renal length (L) (cm), orthogonal anterior-posterior diameter (D) (cm) and width (W) (cm) of each kidney were measured on ultrasound. Kidney volume was calculated as 0.523 x L x D x W (cm3). Anthropometric indices including height (cm), weight (kg) and body mass index (m2/kg) were collected through a medical record review. We used linear regression analysis to create simple equations to estimate the renal length and the volume with those anthropometric indices that were mostly correlated with the US-measured renal sizes.
RESULTS
Renal length showed the strongest significant correlation with patient height (R2, 0.874 and 0.875 for the right and left kidneys, respectively, p < 0.001). Renal volume showed the strongest significant correlation with patient weight (R2, 0.842 and 0.854 for the right and left kidneys, respectively, p < 0.001). The following equations were developed to describe these relationships with an estimated 95% range of renal length and volume (R2, 0.826-0.884, p < 0.001): renal length = 2.383 + 0.045 x Height (+/- 1.135) and = 2.374 + 0.047 x Height (+/- 1.173) for the right and left kidneys, respectively; and renal volume = 7.941 + 1.246 x Weight (+/- 15.920) and = 7.303 + 1.532 x Weight (+/- 18.704) for the right and left kidneys, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Scatter plots between height and renal length and between weight and renal volume have been established from Korean children and simple equations between them have been developed for use in clinical practice.

Keyword

Kidney; Organ size; Body size; Ultrasonography; Child

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
*Body Size
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Kidney/growth & development/*ultrasonography
Male
Organ Size
Reference Values
Republic of Korea
Retrospective Studies

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Scatterplots and linear regression lines of height and renal length.Graphs with simple equations for relationship between patient height and length of (A) right and (B) left kidneys including range for estimated 95% confidence limit.

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  Fig. 2 Scatterplots and linear regression lines of weight and renal volume.Graphs with simple equations for relationship between patient weight and volume of (A) right and (B) left kidneys including range for estimated 95% confidence limit.

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