The analysis of renal artery cross-section area and kidney volume in computed tomography angiography.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between renal artery cross-section area and kidney volume with consideration of anatomical variants of renal arteries, sexual dimorphism and lateralisation. Two hundred and two patients, 104 women and 98 men, aged 57.3 ± 16 years were examined using computed tomography angiography (CTA) of abdominal aorta for various reasons. The cross-section areas of renal arteries were measured automatically with a vessel tracking programme and summed up on each side in case of the presence of additional renal arteries. The kidneys were measured manually. Additional renal arteries (ARA) were found in 68 (33.7%) patients. Fifty-three (77.9%) of them had one, 11 (16.2%) two and 4 (5.9%) three ARAs. Bilateral ARAs occurred in 10 cases (14.7% patients with ARA). Proximal branching of renal artery occurred in 36 (8.4%) renal arteries. The cross-section area of the largest renal artery depended on the number of ipsilateral renal arteries. Mean cross-section area of the main left renal artery was larger than on the right side (28.52 mm2 vs. 25.36 mm2, p < 0.01) in the whole analysed group. Strong sexual dimorphism in renal artery cross-section area was observed (p < 0.01) in favour of men (31.3 mm2 in men and 22.9 mm2 in women). Mean total renal artery cross-section area has positively correlated with kidney volume (p < 10-13) in both sexes with Pearson correlation value of 0.5. The cross-section area of renal arteries correlated positively with kidney volume in both sexes. Presence of ARAs does not influence the sum of cross-section areas of renal arteries. In case of a difference between left and right renal artery cross-section area with symmetrical kidneys, it is necessary to look for ARA.