Measuring Fetal Kidney Size: Is It Reliable for Diagnosing Hydronephrosis?
Author Information
Author(s): Alamanda Kfoury Pereira, Zilma Silveira Nogueira Reis, Bouzada Maria Cândida Ferrarez, de Oliveira Eduardo Araújo, Osanan Gabriel, Cabral Antônio Carlos Vieira
Primary Institution: Federal University of Minas Gerais
Hypothesis
Can the anteroposterior diameter (APD) of the renal pelvis reliably define fetal hydronephrosis?
Conclusion
The measurement errors in assessing fetal kidney size were low, but the agreement on diagnosing hydronephrosis was only fair.
Supporting Evidence
- 74% of measurements showed a dilated fetal renal pelvis.
- Absolute intraobserver variation was 5.2 ± 3.5%.
- Interobserver variation was 9.3 ± 9.7%.
- The overall percentage of agreement for hydronephrosis diagnosis was 64%.
- Cohen's Kappa for hydronephrosis severity was 0.51.
Takeaway
Doctors used ultrasound to measure the size of babies' kidneys before they were born, and found that while their measurements were usually accurate, they didn't always agree on whether a baby had a problem.
Methodology
Two ultrasonographers measured the renal pelvis diameter of 17 fetuses using ultrasound, assessing both intraobserver and interobserver variability.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the subjective nature of ultrasound measurements and the influence of maternal factors.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and excluded cases with other fetal anomalies.
Participant Demographics
Pregnant women referred for suspected fetal uropathy, aged 23 to 39 weeks of gestation.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.246
Confidence Interval
95% CI, 0.33 to 0.69
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website