The pilot study of B-mode image analysis of kidney diseases

Abstract

Ultrasound diagnostics is a key tool in the investigation of renal diseases in pediatric patients due to its non-invasiveness and accessibility. Although it offers many advantages. Its accuracy in detecting functional pathological changes is investigated in this article. This pilot study included 17 children aged 1 to 18 years who underwent renal ultrasound examination followed by scintigraphy examination in a nuclear medicine clinic. Renal ultrasound images were analyzed using the digital B-MODE Assist system. which calculates renal echogenicity. The B-MODE Assist software was developed more than 10 years ago and is used for measuring region of interest echogenicity for B-mode images in medicine. Echogenicity results were then compared with relative renal function determined using nuclear medicine methods. Results using the B-MODE Assist system demonstrated the sensitivity of 57–100 % and the specificity of 70–100 % in predicting renal pathological findings using ultrasound echogenicity compared with nuclear medicine methods.