Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ultrasound kidney thickness ratio in healthy and sick cats
By Sim, Hyeonji et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2025·Department of Veterinary Medical Imaging, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Feline Renal Cortical Thickness-Aortic Diameter Ratio in Healthy Versus Diseased Kidneys: Comparative Ultrasonographic Evaluation.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that cats with kidney disease, including chronic kidney disease (CKD) and acute kidney injury (AKI), had different kidney measurements compared to healthy cats. Specifically, the ratio of kidney thickness to aorta diameter (RCT:Ao ratio) was lower in CKD cats and higher in AKI cats. This ratio can help veterinarians diagnose kidney issues in cats, as it showed good accuracy in distinguishing between healthy and diseased kidneys. The findings suggest that measuring this ratio could be a useful tool for diagnosing kidney problems in cats.
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Abstract
In this retrospective multicenter study, we aimed to establish the renal cortical thickness-aortic diameter (RCT:Ao) ratio as a diagnostic parameter for detecting feline acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease (AKI or CKD). This study included bilateral kidneys of 152 normal, 171 CKD, 19 AKI, and 15 acute-on-chronic kidney disease (ACKD) cats. Ultrasonographic measurements were obtained in the midsagittal plane of the kidneys and aorta. Multiple linear regression analysis of RCT, body weight (BW), and body condition score (BCS) revealed a positive correlation of RCT with BW (p < 0.001), but not with BCS (p = 0.343). Multiple linear regression analysis of RCT:Ao ratio, BW, and BCS showed a poor model fit (F value: 0.119). There were significant intergroup differences among the normal, CKD, AKI, and ACKD sub-cohorts (p < 0.001). Compared to normal cats, CKD and AKI cats each had lower and higher RCT:Ao ratio (both p < 0.001), respectively. The RCT:Ao ratio of the ACKD group significantly differed from that in normal and CKD groups (both p < 0.001), but not the AKI group (p = 0.159). Optimal RCT:Ao ratio cutoffs of 1.15 and 1.45 were used to distinguish between the normal and CKD groups (75% sensitivity, 80% specificity) and the normal and AKI groups (90% sensitivity, 89% specificity), respectively. The RCT:Ao ratio was unaffected by the BW and BCS and is a clinically useful diagnostic parameter for feline kidney disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40965234/