Diffuse kidney changes, their signs and ultrasound diagnosis
The concept of diffuse changes is very versatile. It is not considered a diagnosis, but is a conclusion based on the results of an ultrasound examination of the urinary system. With the development of a chronic form of glomerulonephritis or nephropathy of a diabetic nature, the kidneys decrease in size only at the stage of the need for dialysis for the patient.
Any change in the kidney is a change in the structure of the organ, its cells or tissue. According to the nature of the course of the pathology, it can be congenital or acquired, indicating the progression of a disease or anomaly of the structure. Diffuse changes in chwl of both kidneys may also not be a pathological process, since before reaching the age of three, the kidney of the child has a lobular structure.
This is important!
When the diagnosis is made, a whole list of diffuse disorders of the structure and functioning of the kidneys is distinguished, namely, a change in the size of the organ-an increase, indicates the development of inflammation, and a decrease in the organ indicates the development of chronic pathology due to thinning of the parenchyma. The broken structure of the organ is detected by ultrasound.
To diffuse deviations include thickening of the parenchyma, diffuse changes in the sinuses - usually their increase, suspicion of the presence of fluid in the pelvis, the presence of an abscess, changes in the veins of the kidney and the suspicion of the formation of thrombosis. Sometimes the diagnosis of diffuse changes indicates the presence of kidney stones.
Changes in the kidney are classified into the following types:
- fuzzy;
- clear;
- weak;
- expressed;
- moderate diffuse.
This is important!
Regardless of the situation, such a conclusion can be considered preliminary, and it is possible to approve a diagnosis only after conducting a comprehensive survey with a basis on the results of the analyzes.
Diffuse changes in renal tissue
Above, the human kidney has a connective capsule consisting of a special tissue, a system of excretion and collection of urine. Special tissue is a group of cells, which includes a cortical and brain substance.
Renal parenchyma is also formed by such cells, so it is able to recover. To determine the condition of the tissue, ultrasound examination and computed tomography are performed.
Diffuse changes in the parenchyma of both kidneys are formed for several reasons:
- The first stage of development of urolithic pathology, when plaques appear in the zone of the pyramids, which later turn into stones.
- Hyperechoic components are capable of such changes.
- Diffuse changes associated with the kidney fat tissue or its vessels.
Only the organization of an integrated organ examination can diagnose the disease.
Renal parenchyma is often affected by various benign neoplasms or angiomyolopoma, and malignant pathologies include renal oncology. The signs complementing the formation of the tumor are classified into extrarenal and renal. But they are almost identical. Typical signs include the detection of blood in the urine, pain in the hypochondrium during palpation.
Also, with diffuse changes, signs may appear, as with other lesions of the renal parenchyma. The pathology is acute and then transformed into a chronic one. Diffuse changes are observed in chronic pyelonephritis.
This is important! Assimetry of the kidney shadows on the images, deformation of the cup-and-pelvis system, uneven contours, uneven thickness of the renal parenchyma, indicates the development of chronic pyelonephritis and suggests that the chronic process is neglected. At the same time, urgent medical attention is needed during the course of the disease.
With the delay in removing the fluid from nephrons, a simple or solitary renal cyst develops.
A simple cyst is a single formation with thin walls formed from the parenchyma, it is round in shape and contains a serous fluid sometimes with an admixture of blood.
Modern treatment techniques help to quickly get rid of the cyst due to the plastic properties of the organ tissue.
Diffuse changes on ultrasound
Diffuse changes in the kidneys, their tissues, sinus structures in a special way manifest themselves on ultrasound, namely:
- Acute pathologies, as a rule, are supplemented by an increase in the size of the organ due to the development of edematous inflammation. But chronic pathologies, on the contrary, cause a decrease in the size of the organ due to thinning of the renal parenchyma. In the chronic course of glomerulonephritis and with diabetic nephropathy, the kidneys begin to decrease in size only if dialysis is necessary.
- Echogenic changes - an increase or decrease in echogenicity is reflected in changes in the histological structure of tissues.
The ultrasound diagnosis data includes:
- thickening of the renal tissue;
- receiving echoes from the sine of the kidney;
- reduction of echogenicity;
- acute form of interstitial nephritis or pyelonephritis;
- a thickening and fuzzy outlines of the parenchyma and a decrease in the thickness of the sinus itself;
- in the pelvis reveals the presence of fluid;
- defects in perfusion and strengthening of vascularization of nearby tissues;
- Kidney vein thrombosis.
- Poorly defined echo structure.
- Signs of formation of venous thrombosis.
- Formation of tumor thrombosis.
- Impossibility of visualization of veins of the organ, absence of blood circulation in these veins or development of reverse circulation in the renal arteries with a high resistance index.