Brennan, Sonja, Kandasamy, Yogavijayan, Rudd, Donna, Schneider, Michal, and Watson, David (2020) Fetal kidney charts of a novel measurement of the renal parenchymal thickness to evaluate fetal kidney growth and potential function. Prenatal Diagnosis, 40. pp. 860-869.

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Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop new standard growth charts for fetal renal parenchymal thickness, length, and volume to define normal ranges for use in clinical practice and to assess the reliability of these measurements.

Methods: This was a prospective, longitudinal study of 72 low-risk singleton pregnancies undergoing serial ultrasound examinations at least every four weeks. Multiple renal measurements were performed on both kidneys at each scan. The renal parenchymal thickness was measured in the mid-sagittal plane. Standard charts were developed and the intra and interobserver reliability for the renal measurements was analysed.

Results: Standard charts were developed for fetal renal parenchymal thickness, length, and volume.

Conclusion: We present novel charts, which demonstrate the growth of the fetal renal parenchyma during pregnancy. They will be useful in clinical practice to identify any alterations from these normal ranges, which may be an important criterion for assisting prenatal diagnosis of renal pathologies and future studies in the prediction of kidney function.

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