title: Sonographic determination of spleen to left kidney ratio among Igbo school age children of south east Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clinical determination of mild splenomegaly is notoriously inaccurate.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine sonographically the spleen to left kidney ratio according to age and somatometric parameters among school age children in a tropical environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional study and convenience sampling were done on 947 apparently healthy subjects (496 boys and 451 girls) aged 6-17 years at the University of Nigeria Medical Centre, Nsukka. The sonographic examination was performed on Shenzhen DP-1100 machine with 3.5 and 5 MHz convex transducers. Spleen and left kidney lengths were obtained using appropriate techniques. The weight and height of the subjects were obtained with the participants wearing light weight street clothes without shoes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Measurement of spleen and left kidney lengths were reliable within and between sonographers. The spleen and left kidney lengths were not statistically different in boys and girls (p > 0.05). The spleen to left kidney ratio according to age and somatometric parameters is constant at about 1.13 with 1.3 as the upper limit of normal in the studied population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sonography can be used to detect mild splenomegaly if the spleen to left kidney ratio is greater than 1.3 in the absence of renal disease among school age children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Radiography and Radiological Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: C U
authors.initials: CU
authors.lastname: Eze
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Radiography and Radiological Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Agwu
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka Campus, Enugu State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Ezeasor
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituk-Ozalla, Enugu State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Agwuna
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituk- Ozalla, Enugu State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Aronu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001699:Biometry / Q000379:methods; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D009929:Organ Size; D012016:Reference Values; D013154:Spleen / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Ultrasound; measurements; school age children; spleen size