title: Renal length discrepancy by ultrasound is a reliable predictor of an abnormal DMSA scan in children.
abstract: A renal length discrepancy (RLD) of more than 10 mm by ultrasound (US) is accepted as a potential indicator of an underlying renal pathology; however, there are few supporting data for this in children. Our objective was to determine a cutoff at which RLD on US is a reliable predictor of dimercaptosuccinate acid (DMSA) scan abnormality. We present data from 90 patients who had both renal US and a DMSA scan, as well as DMSA scan results compared with bipolar RLD by US. Positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values were calculated for renal RLD from 6 to >10 mm. The left kidney was longer in 56%, whereas the right kidney was longer in 37%; their lengths were equal in 8%. For children at all ages, a left kidney longer than the right by >or=10 mm or a right kidney longer than the left by >or=7 mm gave a PPV for DMSA abnormality of 79% and 100%, respectively. In children older than 4 years, if the right kidney was longer by >or=7 mm or if the left kidney was longer by >or=10 mm, the PPVs for DMSA abnormality were 100% and 63%, respectively. In children younger than 4 years, when the right kidney was longer by >or=6 mm or the left was kidney longer by >or=10 mm, the PPV were 86% and 100%, respectively. Thus, children with a right kidney longer than the left by even <10 mm is a reliable predictor of an abnormal DMSA scan.
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics, Mashad Azad University, 22 Bahman Hospital, Pediatrics, Mashad, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmood R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Khazaei
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mackie
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: Gad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kainer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019783:Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D019783:Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid