Sonographic signs of nephritis in children. A comparison of renal echography with clinical evaluation, laboratory data and biopsy.

In 40 children with histologically confirmed diagnosis of nephritis 82 sonographic examinations were performed for evaluation of echographic signs of nephritis. Increased cortical renal echointensity in comparison with the normal liver and enlarged parenchymal volume proved to be the most specific and reliable signs of nephritis, particularly if both were present. Accentuated corticomedullary differentiation was too insensitive to be of additional value. Twenty-one patients had follow up examinations in the course of their nephritis. In 15 patients sonographic signs, serum creatinine and clinical classification showed parallel changes. In two cases sonographic improvement preceded clinical and laboratory normalization by several weeks, giving valuable prognostic information.