Comparative sonographic assessment of renal volume and arterial Doppler velocimetric indices among women with pregnancy-induced hypertension and normotensive controls in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Pregnancy-induced hypertension is a global public health problem, worsening maternal morbidity and mortality. Renal complications have additional devastating consequences on maternal morbidity. Renal Doppler ultrasound is a valuable tool in the management of pregnancy-induced hypertension. It helps in the assessment of renal hemodynamics with the potential to monitor renal function and predict complications. We aimed to determine the relationship between the renal volume and arterial Doppler velocimetric indices in pregnancy-induced hypertension and matched normotensive controls. Methods: Following the documentation of demographic and basic obstetric characteristics of 150 women with pregnancy-induced hypertension and an equal number of their matched controls, a 3.5-MHz convex transducer was used to measure the maternal renal volumes and renal arterial Doppler velocimetric indices (peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, resistive index, pulsatility index, and systolic–diastolic radio). Student’s t-test and linear regression were used to determine the differences and relationships between the quantitative variables among women with pregnancy-induced hypertension and their controls. The association chi-square test was used to determine the association between the qualitative and categorical variables. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean renal volume of pregnancy-induced hypertension patients is higher bilaterally when compared to normotensive women. The mean peak systolic velocity and resistive index in pregnancy-induced hypertension patients were significantly higher compared to normotensives (59.13 ± 13.5 vs 54.19 ± 9.8 cm/s; p < 0.001) and (0.74 ± 0.2 vs 0.68 ± 0.3). Conclusion: The maternal renal volume and peak systolic velocity of the renal arteries are significantly higher in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension compared to normotensives.