Kidney Ultrasound in Human Cadavers: Usefulness for Clinical Biopsy Training and Accuracy of Volume Estimation

Joachim Beige; Lothar Preuschof; Till Treutler; Sabine Loffler; Christine Feja; Amir Hamza

Volume : IV, Issue : I, January - 2015

Kidney Ultrasound in Human Cadavers: Usefulness for Clinical Biopsy Training and Accuracy of Volume Estimation

Joachim Beige, Lothar Preuschof, Till Treutler, Sabine Loffler, Christine Feja, Amir Hamza

Abstract :

Investigations, demonstrations and procedural practices in human corpses are increasingly used to optimize clinical practice and skills of medical staff and physicians. We tested, if cadaver kidneys in the anatomy setting are appropriate for renal biopsy training and conducted an investigation comp� kidney volume by water replacement and by ultrasound (US) calculation with the standard equation Volume = (Length x Depth x Width) / (π/6) in 25 kidneys from 13 corpses. US yielded an average kidney volume of about 38mL and thereby underestimated the real volume more than 2fold but was strongly correlated with the true (water replacement) volume. We therefore confirmed the systematic value of the equation for volume calculation but must consider that kidneys from corpses do show a behaviour making them improper for conventional US volume calculation. However, biopsy procedures were fully performed including a controlled needle transition through tissue and muscle and a preshot capsule impression. Kidneys from human corpses could be successfully used for training of renal biopsy procedure with young fellow nephrologists.