Sonographic Evaluation of Maternal Renal Echogenicity in Healthy Pregnant Women in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria.

Background: Increased renal echogenicity is a nonspecific ultrasound finding. It may be a normal variation or suggestive of various underlying conditions like renal amyloidosis, chronic kidney disease, sickle cell disease and HIV associated nephropathy (HIVAN).

Objective: To study maternal renal echogenicity in normal pregnancy, and explore its relationship with maternal baseline characteristics in our subregion.

Normative Clinical Reference for Intima-media Thickness of Carotid Arteries among Nigerian Adults.

Background: The intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid arteries is said to be predictive of the risk of cerebrovascular accidents in patients and said to be affected by sex, age, and race. The lack of normative reference values of carotid IMT can adversely affect the screening of subclinical atherosclerosis in Nigeria. Sonography is the most widely used tool in clinical practice for IMT determination.