SONOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT OF URINARY BLADDER WALL THICKNESS INAPPARENTLY HEALTHY CHILDREN, IN KADUNA METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Normative values of urinary bladder wall thickness (UBWT) in healthy paediatrics should be established for reference in the diagnosis and management of urinary bladder health conditions (WHO). Ultrasound remains the best imaging modality for the evaluation of urinary bladder wall thickness. This study was aimed at assessing urinary bladder wall thickness in apparently healthy paediatrics in Kaduna metropolis, Nigeria. The study design was prospective and cross-sectional conducted at Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital, Tudun-Wada Kaduna, Kaduna state, Nigeria, from March 2022 to August 2022. A sample size of four hundred and three (403) participants was used in the study and a convenient sampling method was employed. Trans-abdominal ultrasound scan was performed with a full bladder. Anterior, posterior, left lateral and right lateral wall thickness was measured. SPSS version 29 was used for data analysis. The preset p-value was at 0.05. The anterior, posterior, left lateral, and right lateral bladder wall thickness were 1.0-3.1mm, 1.0.3.1mm, 1.0-3.4mm, and 1.0-3.1mm, respectively. For females were found to be 1.0-3.1mm, 1.0-3.1mm, 1.0-2.7mm, and 1.0-3.2mm, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in posterior bladder wall thickness between males and females. There was a statistical significant difference in anterior-posterior right and left lateral bladder wall thickness between paediatric age groups (p=0.000). The study has established the normative value of urinary bladder wall thickness among healthy children in the Kaduna metropolis. There was a statistical significant difference in anterior-posterior right and left lateral bladder wall thickness between paediatric age groups.