Doppler studies in normal kidneys of preterm and term neonates: changes in relation to gestational age and birth weight.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to establish normative data for the flow velocity waveform indices of the renal arteries in the neonatal population and to evaluate the differentiation between birth weight and gestational age of neonates.


METHODS
Color sonography was performed in 65 neonates on the fifth day of life. Mean flow velocity was assessed, and measurements of the systolic/diastolic velocity ratio, resistive index, and pulsatility index were performed by online calculation.


RESULTS
All established values of renal arteries showed no significant differences in the right and left kidneys (P > .05). These values were not correlated with gestational age and birth weight (P > .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Peak systolic velocity, systolic/diastolic velocity ratio, and resistive index and pulsatility index values remain stable despite gestational age or birth weight and not different between the right and left kidneys.
Yildirim
Hanefi
H
Department of Radiology, Firat University Medical School, 23119 Elazig, Turkey.
Gungor
Serdal
S
Cihangiroglu
M Mutlu
MM
Aygun
A Denizmen
AD
D001724:Birth Weight; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color