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Ultrasonography of the urinary system

3,560 bytes removed, 09:56, 2 August 2019
*Evaluate the '''echogenicity''' of the kidneys, comparing to the liver on the right side, and to the spleen on the left side if possible. A hyperechoic renal cortex indicates chronic kidney disease ([[#Chronic kidney disease|see section below]]).
*Have at least a quick glance at the '''bladder''' for excessive distension or obvious pathology.
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File:Ultrasonography of keyhole sign of lower urinary tract obstruction.jpg|Ultrasound of the urinary bladder, showing the "keyhole sign" indicating lower urinary tract obstruction. The main "hole" corresponds to a distended urinary bladder (white arrow) and the slit (black arrow) is a distended proximal urethra.
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==Findings in the normal kidney==
==Solid renal masses==
[[File:Cortical solid mass of renal cell carcinoma.jpg|thumb|Figure 8. Cortical solid mass, which later was shown to be renal cell carcinoma. Measurement of the solid mass on the US image is illustrated by ‘+’ and a dashed line.<ref name="Hansen2015" />]]
[[File:Renal cell carcinoma with both cystic and solid components.jpg{{Main|thumb|Figure 9. Renal cell carcinoma with both cystic and solid components located in the cortex. Measurement of tumor on the US image is illustrated by ‘+’ and a dashed line.<ref name="Hansen2015" />]] A [[solid renal mass]] appears in the US exam with internal echoes, without the well-defined, smooth walls seen in cysts, often with Doppler signal, and is frequently malignant or has a high malignant potential. The most common malignant renal parenchymal tumor is renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which accounts for 86% of the malignancies in the kidney. RCCs are typically isoechoic and peripherally located in the parenchyma, but can be both hypo- and hyper-echoic and are found centrally in medulla or sinus. The lesions can be multifocal and have cystic elements due to necrosis, calcifications and be multifocal (Figure 8 and Figure 9). RCC is associated with von Hippel–Lindau disease, and with tuberous sclerosis, and US has been recommended as a tool for assessment and follow-up of renal masses in these patients.<ref name="Hansen2015" /> However, US is not the primary modality for the evaluation Ultrasonography of solid tumors in the kidney, and CT is the first choice modality. Nevertheless, hemorrhagic cysts can resemble RCC on CT, but they are easily distinguished with Doppler ultrasonography. In RCCs, Doppler US often shows vessels with high velocities caused by neovascularization and arteriovenous shunting. Some RCCs are hypovascular and not distinguishable with Doppler US. Therefore, renal tumors without a Doppler signal, which are not obvious simple cysts on US and CT, should be further investigated with CEUS, as CEUS is more sensitive than both Doppler US and CT for the detection of hypovascular tumors.<ref name="Hansen2015" /> Other malignant tumors in the kidney are transitional cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, which arise from the urothelium and are found the renal sinus, as well as adenocarcinoma, lymphoma and metastases, which can be found anywhere in the kidney (Figure 10).<ref name="Hansen2015" /> Benign solid tumors of the kidney are oncocytoma and angiomyofibroma. Oncocytoma has a varying ultrasonic appearance, but may have a central scar or calcification as a hallmark. Angiomyofibroma are often found in patients with tuberous sclerosis. They are composed of fat, smooth muscle tissue and vascular elements. The echogenicity is governed by the composition of these elements, but the lesion is often hyperechoic (Figure 11 and Figure 12).<ref name="Hansen2015" /> Benign tumors are difficult to separate from malignant tumors using US. Thus, solid renal masses found on US are difficult to classify and should be further evaluated with CT. In special cases of cystic or solid renal masses, additional US guided biopsy or drainage is performed to identify the histologic tumor type before a decision on surgery is made.<ref name="Hansen2015" /> <gallery widths="200" heights="200">File:Ultrasonography of renal lymphoma.jpg|Figure 10. Solid tumor in the renal sinus seen as a hypoechoic mass, later found to be lymphoma. The ‘1’ and ‘2’ on the US image are reference points used for CT fusion (not shown).<ref name=Hansen2015/>File:Ultrasonography of angiomyolipoma.jpg|Figure 11. [[Angiomyolipoma]] seen as a hyperechoic mass in the upper pole of an adult kidney.<ref name=Hansen2015/>File:Ultrasonography of multiple angiomyolipomas in tuberous sclerosis.jpg|Figure 12. Patient with tuberous sclerosis and multiple angiomyolipomas in the kidney. Measurement of kidney length on the US image is illustrated by ‘+’ and a dashed line.<ref name=Hansen2015/></gallery>}}
==Hydronephrosis==
Image fusion of ultrasound with a previously recorded dataset of CT or other modalities is rarely used in renal US. Reports on image fusion using CEUS or US combined with CT or MRI in the examination of renal lesions and in difficult US-guided renal interventions have been published (Figure 31). However, no recommendations have been published so far.<ref name="Hansen2015" />
 
[[Elastography]] is a US method to visualize the elasticity of tissue. Preliminary reports on US elastography used on transplanted kidneys to evaluate cortical fibrosis have been published showing promising results (Figure 32).<ref name="Hansen2015" />
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