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Is It Possible To Have Normal Ultrasound Report When Suffering From Chronic Kidney Disease?
Question: I wanted to know how can you have a normal ultrasound if your doctor say you have ckd stage 3, I have no systems or anything is there a possibility the blood test could be wrong I really don't understand this also my kidneys were normal 6 months ago I do not have my actual blood work and I want to know should I see a kidney specialist. I have never been told I had kidney disease my kidneys has always been normal.
Brief Answer:
Technical errors might be there, kidney eGFR also requires to be repeated
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX
Thanks for writing in to us.
I have read through your query in detail.
Chronic kidney disease is classified in 5 stages. Of these you might have been diagnosed as stage 3a or 3b. The staging of kidney disease is based on filtration rate of the kidneys.
Stage 3a: moderate impairment - eGFR 45-59 ml/minute/1.73 m2.
Stage 3b: moderate impairment - eGFR 30-44 ml/minute/1.73 m2.
From the above you can see that eGFR is the most important variable when considering chronic kidney disease.
Speaking about the ultrasound appearance of kidneys, they are compared to the liver. In some patients the liver can contain mild increased amounts of fat due to benign causes and this can make the liver appear a shade grey lighter. In this situation, it is possible to see the kidney relatively darker to the liver even though it is slightly lighter due to disease.
The liver also might be showing mild fatty changes with the possibility of limited assessment in the presence of more than usual bowel gas. This is a technical matter and in this way it might be possible that your kidney appearance was passed as normal even if it was slightly lighter. Ultrasound diagnosis of chronic kidney disease is based on the shades of grey that are recorded and a shade lighter or darker can make a difference.
Kidney conditions can appear within 3 months and if you were having normal kidney function 6 months earlier then it is still possible to have a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease stage 3.
In conclusion, your blood test for kidney function is most important at this time and it will help to do repeat test for eGFR which is estimated GFR and this will show the kidney function. If chronic kidney disease stage 3 is confirmed after doing this test then you must consult a nephrologist doctor, the kidney specialist and start taking treatment.
Hope this answers your question. Please feel free to correct any oversight in my interpretation of your problems and discuss them in detail as per your requirements.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
Technical errors might be there, kidney eGFR also requires to be repeated
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX
Thanks for writing in to us.
I have read through your query in detail.
Chronic kidney disease is classified in 5 stages. Of these you might have been diagnosed as stage 3a or 3b. The staging of kidney disease is based on filtration rate of the kidneys.
Stage 3a: moderate impairment - eGFR 45-59 ml/minute/1.73 m2.
Stage 3b: moderate impairment - eGFR 30-44 ml/minute/1.73 m2.
From the above you can see that eGFR is the most important variable when considering chronic kidney disease.
Speaking about the ultrasound appearance of kidneys, they are compared to the liver. In some patients the liver can contain mild increased amounts of fat due to benign causes and this can make the liver appear a shade grey lighter. In this situation, it is possible to see the kidney relatively darker to the liver even though it is slightly lighter due to disease.
The liver also might be showing mild fatty changes with the possibility of limited assessment in the presence of more than usual bowel gas. This is a technical matter and in this way it might be possible that your kidney appearance was passed as normal even if it was slightly lighter. Ultrasound diagnosis of chronic kidney disease is based on the shades of grey that are recorded and a shade lighter or darker can make a difference.
Kidney conditions can appear within 3 months and if you were having normal kidney function 6 months earlier then it is still possible to have a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease stage 3.
In conclusion, your blood test for kidney function is most important at this time and it will help to do repeat test for eGFR which is estimated GFR and this will show the kidney function. If chronic kidney disease stage 3 is confirmed after doing this test then you must consult a nephrologist doctor, the kidney specialist and start taking treatment.
Hope this answers your question. Please feel free to correct any oversight in my interpretation of your problems and discuss them in detail as per your requirements.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
Note: For further queries related to kidney problems and comprehensive renal care, talk to a Nephrologist. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Answered by
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