Low-Dose CT Scans Show Promise in Evaluating Kidney Volume in Polycystic Kidney Disease

A recent study explores the effectiveness of low-dose CT scans for assessing kidney volume in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The findings indicate that low-dose CT scans are comparable to standard-dose scans for this purpose while reducing radiation exposure. This study was published in BMC Nephrology by Jaeyeong Yoo and colleagues.

Kidney volume is crucial for diagnosing and prognosticating ADPKD, as well as evaluating treatment responses to drugs like tolvaptan. In this study, researchers assessed the correspondence and correlation of kidney volume measured by both standard-dose and low-dose CT scans. The main findings are as follows:

• Study Cohort: The study included 24 ADPKD patients with a mean age of 48.4 years, with approximately 46% being men.
  
• Volume Consistency: The study found a high degree of consistency between kidney volume measurements obtained from standard-dose and low-dose CT scans. The R2 value for volume correlation was 0.995.
• Bland-Altman Plot: Except for one case with a large kidney volume, the measurements from both types of CT scans were consistent. This indicates the reliability of low-dose CT scans for kidney volume assessment.
• Coefficient of Variation and ICC: The coefficient of variation was 0.02, and the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.998, demonstrating good agreement between the two types of scans.
• Radiation Dose: Standard-dose CT scans had a radiation dose (dose-length product) of 229 mGy·cm, while low-dose CT scans reduced this dose to 50 mGy·cm, representing a substantial reduction of approximately 20% of the radiation exposure.

The study's findings suggest that low-dose CT scans can effectively replace standard-dose scans in assessing kidney volume in ADPKD patients. This not only provides a less invasive option but also significantly reduces radiation exposure, a crucial consideration for patient safety.

Reference:

Yoo, J., Kim, J. up, Kim, J., Jeon, S., Song, Y.-J., Choi, K.-H., Kim, S.-H., Yoon, J.-W., & Kim, H. Non-contrast low-dose CT can be used for volumetry of ADPKD. BMC Nephrology,2023;24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-023-03359-z