Feasibility and Quality Determinants of 3D Sonography in Children With Hydronephrosis

Abstract

The objective was to determine the image quality of 3D diagnostic medical sonography (DMS) in children with hydronephrosis. 3D DMS was assessed based on 24 pediatric patients. Image quality was evaluated by two radiologists and a sonographer in terms of rib shadowing, cut-off parenchymal edges, motion artifact, and overall quality. The interreader reliability and relation between image quality and other variables were calculated. The results were based on images of 32 hydronephrotic kidneys. The average quality scoring of the images was quite high. Rib shadowing, cut-off edges, and motion artifact were present in the majority of the cases. The interreader reliability for overall quality, rib shadowing, cut-off, and motion was quite high. There was a correlation between the Society for Fetal and Neonatal Urology’s hydronephrosis grade and higher cut-off edges. Larger kidneys were more likely to show cut-off, motion, and lower quality scores. In this cohort of infants and toddlers with hydronephrotic kidneys, 3D DMS demonstrated good image quality; however, artifacts were attributed to kidney size and severity of hydronephrosis.