Renal Parenchymal Thickness Measurement and Clinical Significance

Clinical Significance and Measurement Guidelines

• The American College of Radiology guidelines note that normal-sized kidneys with preserved parenchymal thickness do not exclude chronic kidney disease, particularly in diabetic nephropathy, infiltrative disorders, and early-stage disease 1, 2
• The American College of Radiology guidelines recommend measuring parenchymal thickness from the outer renal cortical margin to the outer margin of the sinus echoes at the three major poles (upper pole, mid-kidney, and lower pole) to differentiate acute kidney injury from chronic kidney disease 1, 2