Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Quantification in the Evaluation of Renal Parenchyma Elasticity in Pediatric Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: Preliminary Results.

Objectives: To evaluate renal parenchymal elasticity with acoustic radiation force impulse imaging in pediatric patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and compare with healthy volunteers.

Methods: Thirty-eight healthy volunteers and 30 pediatric CKD patients were enrolled in this prospective study. The shear wave velocity (SW) values of both kidneys in CKD patients and healthy volunteers were evaluated.

Results: The mean SW in healthy volunteers was 2.21 ± 0.34 m/s, whereas the same value was 1.81 ± 0.49, 1.72 ± 0.63, 1.66 ± 0.29, 1.48 ± 0.37, and 1.23 ± 0.27 for stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in CKD patients, respectively. The SW was significantly lower for each stage in the CKD patients compared with healthy volunteers. Acoustic radiation force impulse could not predict the different stages of CKD, with the exception of stage 5. The cut-off value for predicting CKD was 1.81 m/s; at this threshold, sensitivity was 76.5% and specificity was 92.1% (area under the curve = 0.870 [95% confidence interval: 0.750-0.990]; P < .001). Interobserver agreement expressed as intraclass coefficient correlation was 0.65 (95% confidence interval: 0.34 to 0.83; P < .001).

Conclusions: Acoustic radiation force impulse may be a potentially useful tool in detecting CKD in pediatric patients.