Common Findings in Ultrasound Examination of the Liver and Kidney in Sokoto Metropolis

Objectives: To evaluate and document common findings in ultrasound examination of the liver and kidneys in Sokoto metropolis and to reveal gender and age distribution of the findings in these organs.

Materials and Methods: The data was collected retrospectively from the hospital archives and records using a data capture sheet.

Results: Total sample of 322 ultrasound reports of the liver and kidneys in which some patients had two findings, one in the liver and another in the kidney, some had liver findings only, some kidney findings only, while some had normal ultrasound examination. Liver findings recorded a dominant male gender with a frequency of 75 (70.1%). Findings in the liver reported were liver cirrhosis, hepatomegaly, fatty liver, primary liver cell carcinoma, hepatic metastasis, chronic liver disease (CLD), hepatitis, hepatoma and liver cyst. Liver cirrhosis had the highest frequency with 29 (27.1%), hepatomegaly with a frequency of 17 (15.9%) followed by fatty liver and plcc with a frequency of 13 (12.1%) each. The age range of 40-49 years had the highest frequency for the liver findings with 23 (21.5%), followed by 60-69 years with 18 (16.8%) while 10-19 years had the least frequency with 3 (2.8%). For the kidney findings, male gender also dominated the findings with a frequency of 107 (64.1%). The age range that had the highest frequency was 20-29 years with 43 (25.7%), followed by 30-39 years with a frequency of 27 (16.2%). The age range with the least frequency was 80-89 years with 6 (3.6%). The pathological kidney findings reported were pyelonephritis, renal parenchyma disease (grades I, II, III, and IV), hydronephrosis, renal calculi, renal cyst, ectopic kidney, renal mass, renal failure and nephrotic syndrome. Pyelonephritis was recorded as the commonest finding with a frequency of 67 (40.1%), followed by renal parenchymal disease with 35 (21.0%).

Conclusion: The study revealed that male gender is at higher risk of having both liver and kidney diseases in Sokoto metropolis than the female and the age of those at higher risk ranged from 20-49 years.

Liver cirrhosis and pyelonephritis are the commonest diseases of the liver and kidneys respectively.