Characterization of the Spleen in Long Standing Hemodialysis Patients Using Ultrasound

Abstract

This study had been done in the renal dialysis center in sennar teaching hospital in ultrasound department in the period from august 2014 to march 2015. The main goal of this is study is to evaluate the spleen of long standing hemodialysis patients by using ultrasound apparatus, with a probe of 3.5 MHz frequency. The study data is 50 cases under regular hemodialysis for 5 years or more, collected using data sheet collection include patient personal data plus ultrasound finding using computer program for analysis. The study showed that there was an increasing in spleen volume comparing with normal range , and also there was an increasing in length and thickness comparing with normal range but the width in not significantly change due to hemodialysis, because mostly due to the presence of the stomach and diaphragm from above and the left kidney from below . The measurement of the spleen (length, thickness and volume) all were increasing when age increasing. Also it showed that there was decreasing in echogenecity when there was increasing in all measurements’ of spleen; also the texture change from homogenecity to heterogenecity when there was increasing in all measurements of spleen. This research showed that ultrasound is a very good tool for studding a short and long term hemodialysis patient and their follow up, and determined a suitable time for intervention and management.