Doppler ultrasonographic assessment of early changes in kidney graft size and resistive index and their predictive role on 1-year graft function.

INTRODUCTION

Doppler ultrasonography is a simple, noninvasive diagnostic tool for assessment and follow-up studies in renal transplantation. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between early changes in graft size and resistive index (RI) and 1-year graft function.

METHOD

We recorded graft size, RI, and serum creatinine level in 25 living kidney donors (before transplantation) as well as early (1-week), and 1-year after transplantation (in kidney recipients). Then we assessed the correlation between early changes in graft size and RI and 1-year Scr.

RESULTS

Repeated measurement tests showed a significant increase in graft size including length (initial, 107.6 ± 5.8 mm; average increase, 8.48 ± 5.61 mm; P < 0.001), anterior-posterior diameter (initial, 46.3 ± 4.7 mm; average increase, 6.16 ± 4.08 mm; P < 0.001), and parenchymal thickness (initial, 14.96 ± 2.1 mm; average increase, 3.04 ± 1.98 mm; P < 0.001) 1 week after transplantation. However, during the 1-year follow-up examinations the increase in graft size was not significant in contrast with 1-week follow-up values (P > 0.47). Pearson correlations showed significant correlation between early changes in graft size (eg, anterior-posterior diameter, r = -0.492; P = 0.013); and 1-year Scr levels. There was no significant correlation between graft size changes and RI or RI and Scr early or 1-year after transplantation.

CONCLUSION

There was a significant increase in kidney size (including length, anterior-posterior diameter, and cortical thickness) early after transplantation. The amount of increase in size significantly correlated with Scr level 1-year after transplantation. There was no correlation between RI and Scr.