Renal ultrasound in rheumatic diseases

Abstract

Ultrasound (US) is the imaging study of choice in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases with clinical suspicion of kidney damage, as it requires no radiation, is non-invasive, and provides real-time imaging. It has become more accessible, and currently, bedside US can be performed with portable devices. US allows evaluation of the structural (shape and size) and functional (perfusion and permeability) aspects of the kidneys, which are particularly important as rheumatological diseases progress. There are no specific ultrasonographic findings in these diseases; consequently, interpretation often depends on clinical correlation. This review describes the most frequent indications and findings in conventional USG and Doppler US in various systemic rheumatological diseases.