Ultrasound Doppler renal pulsatility index is a predictive marker of arterial stiffness in children with solitary functioning kidney.

Introduction: Patients with solitary functioning kidney (SFK) have glomerular hyperfiltration, hypertension, proteinuria and impaired renal function resulting in microvascular atherosclerotic abnormalities. This condition leads to an increase in arterial stiffness. In this study, we aimed to investigate the usefulness of non-invasive renal Doppler ultrasonography hemodynamic parameters in demonstrating arterial stiffness in pediatric patients with SFK.

Methods: The study included 59 children aged 6-18 years who were diagnosed with SFK. Demographic, biochemical, anthropometric, and blood pressure data were recorded. The renal Doppler ultrasound hemodynamic parameters renal resistive index (RRI), renal pulsatility index (RPI), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), central augmentation index (cAIx) and carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) were evaluated.

Results: Eighteen (30.5%) cases with acquired SFK and 41 (64.5%) cases with congenital SFK were detected. Central augmentation indices were higher in children with congenital SFK than in children with acquired SFK (p = 0.038). CkiD-eGFR-SCr-CysC was lower in patients with acquired SFK (p = 0.011). LDL cholesterol levels were higher in children with acquired SFK (p = 0.018). We found a significant correlation between RPI and cfPWV with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.321 and a statistically significant p-value of 0.013.

Conclusions: Congenital SFK is associated with increased microvascular atherosclerotic burden. RPI assessment with renal Doppler ultrasound may be a non-invasive method to identify arterial stiffness.