Pattern of Renal Blood Flow and Renovascular Parameters in Adult Patients With Sickle Cell Disease

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate renal blood flow patterns and renovascular parameters in adult patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) without laboratory evidence of renal impairment. METHODS: Sixty-five steady-state adult patients with SCD (50 hemoglobin SS [HbSS], 12 HbSbeta(0) , and 3 HbSD) and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were studied. The kidney length, echo pattern, peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity, renal-to-aortic ratio, resistive index (RI), acceleration time (AT), and renal vein velocity were acquired, recorded, and analyzed with a 1-5-MHz curvilinear transducer through the abdomen. RESULTS: The mean age +/- SD of the patients with SCD was 32.89 +/- 13.89 years. The highest means for the ultrasound-measured renal length and cortical thickness in the SCD and control groups were 11.78 +/- 1.30 and 11.27 +/- 0.77 cm and 1.86 +/- 0.41 and 1.78 +/- 0.28 cm, respectively. The figures were significantly higher in the SCD group than the control group (P .05). CONCLUSIONS: Increased renal length and cortical echogenicity with elevated PSV, RI, and AT values can serve as early ultrasound changes in adult patients with SCD without renal impairment.