Normal sonographic renal length in adult southeast Nigerians.

The renal lengths of 200 adults with normal renal and cardiac status were measured sonographically in the supine position to establish normative values of renal length for the locality and to correlate them with some anthropometric parameters. The ranges of normal kidney length obtained were 8.3 -12.8 cm and 8.0- 12.5 cm for the left and right kidneys respectively. The mean renal lengths of males were slightly higher than those of females. Renal length correlated positively with subject weight and not with the height or age of patients. This study was able to establish a normogram of renal length for the locality, with mean renal length of 10.6 cm and 10.3 cm for the left and right kidneys respectively. The renal lengths obtained showed no racial dependence. The positive correlation with body weight seems to substantiate the longer lengths of male kidneys versus female kidneys. The study also established a confidence interval of difference between right and left kidneys for the different age groups that could prove invaluable in making critical decisions on size differences in unilateral renal disease.