Evaluation of Renal Parenchyma Elasticity With Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Quantification in Nutcracker Syndrome and Comparisons With Grayscale Doppler Sonography and Laboratory Findings

Abstract

Objectives-We sought to evaluate renal parenchymal elasticity with Virtual Touch quantification of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging in nutcracker syndrome and to compare shear-wave velocity (SWV) values with grayscale Doppler sonography and laboratory findings. Methods-Thirty-eight healthy volunteers and forty-three nutcracker syndrome patients were enrolled in this prospective study. SWV values for both kidneys in nutcracker syndrome patients and healthy volunteers were evaluated. Grayscale Doppler ultrasound and laboratory findings were obtained and compared with SWV values in both nutcracker syndrome patients and healthy volunteers. Results-In nutcracker syndrome patients, SWV values for the left kidney were significantly lower than those for the right kidney (n 5 43; 1.93 6 0.43 m/s vs 2.53 6 0.45 m/s [P<.001]). Healthy volunteers' SWV values for both kidneys had no statistically significant differences. There was a statistically significant difference between nutcracker syndrome patients and healthy volunteers for the SWV values and body mass index values. There was no statistically significant correlation between SWV values of nutcracker syndrome patients and age, gender, glomerular filtration rate, body mass index, vein diameter ratio, peak velocity ratio, or resistive indices. Conclusions-Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging offers new, additional information on the affected left kidney parenchymal changes in nutcracker syndrome patients. © 2016 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.