Huntington D K, Hill S C, Hill M C
Department of Radiology, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC.
Semin Ultrasound CT MR. 1991 Aug;12(4):290-307.
Ultrasound is usually the first imaging procedure used to evaluate the kidneys in a patient presenting with renal failure. It can allow the physician to make a specific diagnosis of bilateral hydronephrosis as the cause of the renal failure and irreversible end-stage renal disease when bilaterally small echogenic kidneys are seen. In the early stages of medical renal disease, the kidneys may appear normal. As parenchymal diseases progress, changes in the echo architecture of the renal parenchyma take place. These changes, however, are nonspecific and ultrasound-guided biopsy may be necessary to determine the exact histological cause of the patient's renal failure.
对于出现肾衰竭的患者，超声通常是用于评估肾脏的首个影像学检查方法。当看到双侧肾实质回声增强且体积缩小的肾脏时，超声可使医生明确诊断双侧肾盂积水是肾衰竭及不可逆终末期肾病的病因。在医学性肾病的早期阶段，肾脏可能看起来正常。随着实质疾病进展，肾实质的回声结构会发生变化。然而，这些变化是非特异性的，可能需要超声引导下活检来确定患者肾衰竭的确切组织学病因。
