Kidney ultrasound and Doppler ultrasound findings during and after acute urinary retention.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate changes in kidney ultrasound and Doppler ultrasound images during and subsequent to acute urinary retention (AUR).


METHODS
Twenty-five men with a mean age of 69 years suffering AUR for a mean of 31 h were studied by measuring serum creatinine, creatinine clearance and renal ultrasound. Renal Doppler ultrasound was applied in 19 of these cases and all patients were followed for 6 months after acute retention was relieved.


RESULTS
During AUR hydronephrosis was noted in three patients; this disappeared during follow-up. During the acute period, after 1 month and after 6 months the average resistive indexes (RI) were 0.71, 0.70 and 0.69, respectively. The changes were not statistically significant. During follow-up, the proportion of patients with normal RI increased from 42 to 64%. Median serum creatinine was normal during retention and follow-up. Median creatinine clearance was reduced during retention and became normal during follow-up (P < 0.05). No correlation was found between RI and serum creatinine at any time-point, nor was any correlation noted between RI and creatinine clearance during retention or at the 1-month follow-up; at 6 months, however, there was a significant inverse correlation between them (P = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
AUR caused elevation of RI, which may be interpreted as diminished renal blood flow. Although in the majority of patients it recovered after treatment, elevated RI was still found in one third of the patients, possibly due to previous chronic bladder outlet obstruction. Our findings stress the importance of both fast release of AUR and effective treatment of its cause.
Mustonen
S
S
Division of Urology, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland. s.musto@fimnet.fi
Ala-Houhala
I O
IO
Vehkalahti
P
P
Laippala
P
P
Tammela
T L
TL
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003404:Creatinine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006869:Hydronephrosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014655:Vascular Resistance
D003404:Creatinine