木村 俊一

Schunichi KIMURA

熊本大学医学部第三内科

Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kumamoto University Medical School

キーワード : Echo-histogram, Liver-kidney contrast, Liver diseases, Renal diseases, Amyloidosis

　Using electronic scanner with echo-histogram analysis, quantitative estimation of liver-kidney echo contrast were carried out in various liver and renal diseases.
　In normal subjects, mean value of difference between liver and kidney (L-K value) was 1.53±1.79. The liver parenchymal echogenicity was slightly higher than that of the kidney.
　However, fatty liver group showed particularly high liver echogenicity in comparison with other liver diseases and normal controls. Parenchymal echogenicity of chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis was higher than that of controls, but not in acute hepatitis.
　In renal diseases, the group having normal level of serum creatinine showed low echogenicity of renal cortex more than control liver. The serum creatinine level correlate to the echogenicity. Renal amyloidosis showed high echogenicity irrespective of serum creatine levels.
　From these results, it was concluded that L-K value was useful for the diagnosis and follow up of fatty liver, and the renal diseases. Amyloidosis schould be suspected if the echogenicity of renal cortex is high level and the serum level of creatinine is not elevated.