In-Office Ultrasonography to Image the Kidneys and Bladder of Children

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Abstract
We present the first experience with in-office ultrasonography to further the office evaluation of children with urological problems. Since February 1986 we imaged prospectively the kidneys and bladders of 172 children (100 boys and 72 girls, mean age 6 years) who presented for office evaluation using a portable 5 MHz. real-time linear array scanner. Initially, we gained familiarity with in-office ultrasonography by examining 38 children who presented for evaluation of problems not recognized to be associated with renal malformations (that is undescended testis). In-office ultrasonography showed hydronephrosis in 1 boy with a buried penis that was found later to be owing to ureteropelvic junction obstruction requiring pyeloplasty. Then, in-office ultrasonography was used to supplement the office evaluation of children with a history of urine infection, voiding problems or known malformations of the kidney and/or bladder. The test showed that 12 of 24 children (50 per cent) with a history of urine infection had a thickened detrusor, large bladder capacity with or without residual urine or reduced sensation to void. In-office ultrasonography also showed that 24 of 74 children (32 per cent) with voiding problems had a thickened detrusor, large bladder capacity with or without residual urine, fecal impaction, suspected bladder neck obstruction (which later required internal urethrotomy) or small bladder capacity. In 35 children with known malformations of the urinary tract in-office ultrasonography was useful to assess the progress of hydronephrosis (29) or to clarify the etiology of the hydronephrosis (4). The diagnostic value of this test was evaluated in 98 children in whom enough data were available to compare the results to those of subsequent urography or clinical outcome. In-office ultrasonography had a 98 per cent sensitivity and an 82 per cent specificity rate. We conclude that in-office ultrasonography is a reliable means to identify incomplete bladder emptying in children with urine infection related to dysfunctional voiding, identify detrusor thickening related to the unstable bladder and indicate the likely etiology of hydronephrosis.