Ultrasound allows assessment of kidney size, the thickness of the cortex area of the kidney and evaluation of cortical echogenicity (how the sound waves echo off the kidney). A connection has been found between cortical echogenicity and the prevalence of global sclerosis (hardening of the kidney), focal tubular atrophy (wasting away of the tubules in the kidney) and the number of hyaline casts per glomerulus (when proteins in the tubules form impressions of the tubules called “casts” in the filter that cleans the blood). It is also helpful in identifying the cysts (including polycystic kidney disease) in the kidney. The role of CT scan is very limited except it can help to identify the cystic diseases much better than ultrasound. MRI has the same limitations as the CT scan.

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