Renal duplex ultrasonography among adult native Nigerian diabetics and diabetic nephropathy population

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious global health problem with grave socioeconomic impact and debilitating complications especially diabetic nephropathy (DN). This study evaluated the usefulness of renal parenchymal and vascular sonography among three groups-diabetics with nephropathy, diabetes with no evidence of nephropathy and nondiabetics. Materials and Methods: The renal volume, parenchymal changes, and intrarenal vascular indices of three groups of participants (Group A - Diabetic with nephropathy; Group B - diabetic without nephropathy; and Group C - nondiabetic controls) were assessed using B-mode and Duplex ultrasonography. Results: The difference in the means of resistance index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) in the diabetic patients (Group A and Group B) was significantly higher compared to the controls(RI mean ± standard deviation [SD]: Group A diabetic patients, 0.71 ± 0.11 cm3 ; Group B diabetics, 0.68 ± 0.08 cm3 ; controls, 0.62 ± 0.07 cm3; P < 0.0001); (PI ± SD: Group A diabetic patients, 1.22 ± 0.25 cm3 ; Group B diabetics, 1.16 ± 0.29 cm3; controls, 1.03 ± 0.23 cm3 ; P = 0.003). The mean renal volume among DM patients (Group A and Group B) were higher than in nondiabetic controls, (mean renal volume ± SD: Group A DM patients with nephropathy, 13.99 ± 3.95 cm3 , the diabetic group without DM patients 13.39 ± 4.59 cm3 , controls 12.05 ± 3.39 cm3). Conclusion: This study showed that renal RI and PI were significantly increased in patients with diabetes than in healthy controls with a trend of increase from controls to DM without nephropathy to DM with nephropathy. Duplex ultrasonography is useful for the clinical evaluation of diabetes and DN.