Kidney ultrasound pitfalls: don’t forget to fan

Checklist for interpreting kidney ultrasound

In our experience, checklists help novice users to systematically interpret the sonographic findings and reduce errors. So, I made SECONDS checklist for interpretation of nephrologist-performed renal ultrasound. Simply, it prompts […]

Renal angiomyolipoma

Here is a nice example of solitary renal angiomyolipoma (AML). Well-circumscribed hyperechoic lesion in the right kidney with echotexture similar to that of adjacent sinus fat. As discussed before, ultrasound […]

Parapelvic Cyst

A patient with a history of chronic kidney disease and nephrolithiasis is seen in the clinic for follow up. Last available serum creatinine is relatively stable compared to baseline. Resident […]

Pelvic Kidney

A middle-aged patient was seen in the nephrology clinic for evaluation of chronic kidney disease. No prior imaging was available. Patient was asymptomatic and there was no significant renal-related history […]

Two young patients with increased renal cortical echogenicity

We previously discussed that not all increased cortical echogenicity is chronic kidney disease (CKD). Here are two more illustrative cases. A young woman with a history of systemic lupus nephritis […]

Short story of a complex renal cyst

We have previously discussed about distinguishing between autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and acquired cystic kidney disease (ACKD). Chronic kidney disease (particularly dialysis-requiring) is frequently associated with the development of […]

A curious case of a large renal cyst

Here is an image of the right kidney obtained from an end-stage kidney disease patient. At first glance, it appears as expected: thin parenchyma, prominent peri-renal fat as you would […]

Renal allograft and ascites

While evaluating a transplanted kidney, we should pay particular attention to the surgical anatomy, presence of ureteral stent, and perinephric collections in addition to ruling out hydronephrosis. Below are examples […]