For a study, researchers sought to investigate the role of CEUS (contrast-enhanced ultrasonography) in assessing renal perfusion and renal function in children with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) prospectively and quantitatively. The local ethics council approved the study protocol, and the patients’ parents or guardians provided written informed permission. For 51 children with unilateral UPJO (42 boys, 9 girls; mean age, 6.75±4.14 years), ultrasonography, CEUS, and radioisotope renography were done. During CEUS, the slope of the ascending curve (A), the time to peak (TTP), the peak intensity (PI), and the area under the curve (AUC) were recorded; quantitative data were derived using the QLab system (semiautomated border tracking, Philips Healthcare) software. About radioisotope renography, sensitivity and specificity values for CEUS were found. The perfusion time-intensity curve (TIC) was established after CEUS was used to analyze 102 kidneys in 51 patients. The TIC of renal cortical perfusion showed an uneven single–peak curve in all groups, with the experimental and control groups distinguishable. The experimental group had a substantially longer TTP but a significantly lower A (P<0.05) than the control group. The AUC, PI, and differential renal function (DRF) had no significant link, although the correlation coefficient between TTP, A, and DRF was substantial (p<0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves used to discriminate DRF using the TTP value generated an AUROC of 0.86. The sensitivity and specificity scores for a quantitative assessment of DRF less than 40% by CEUS were 92.86% and 76.14%, respectively. The study was the first report of a study that looked at the diagnostic utility of CEUS in assessing renal function in children with UPJO. CEUS was a noninvasive diagnostic imaging method for identifying and monitoring renal function that was extremely sensitive, quick, and cost-effective.
Source:www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1477513121005271
