Investigation of the Effects of Hydronephrosis on Renal Morphometry and Volume Values

Year 2025, Issue: 1, 43 - 52, 30.12.2025

Mehmet Akçiçek , Gökçe Bağcı Uzun , Muhammed Furkan Arpacı , Emre Demirel , Hıdır Pekmez

Abstract

Hydronephrosis is a significant clinical condition characterized by dilatation of the renal collecting system, parenchymal thinning, and loss of volume due to increased intrapelvic pressure, leading to disruption of both the morphological and functional integrity of the kidney. In this study, renal volume and morphometric measurements were compared between individuals with and without hydronephrosis using computed tomography (CT) images, and the impact of hydronephrosis on renal volume and geometry was evaluated using three different volume measurement methods. This retrospective study included non-contrast abdominal CT scans obtained between 2017 and 2022. A total of 91 cases (50 with hydronephrosis and 41 without hydronephrosis) were evaluated. Renal volumes were calculated using semi-automatic segmentation with ITK-SNAP (Volsinak), manual area measurement with RadiAnt DICOM Viewer, and the ellipsoid formula method. Additionally, morphometric parameters such as renal thickness, width, length, polar distances (PSAD, PIAD), distances to the spinal medulla (PSMSD, PIMSD), and the angular measurement between the kidney and the transverse plane (BUTDANGLE) were assessed. The findings demonstrated significant differences in thickness, width, and BUTDANGLE parameters in hydronephrotic kidneys (p < 0.05), indicating that hydronephrosis disrupts not only kidney volume but also its geometric structure. A statistically significant difference was observed among the three volume measurement methods (p = 0.001), with the ellipsoid method tending to underestimate renal volume. In conclusion, this study reveals that hydronephrosis leads to marked structural and geometrical alterations in renal morphometry and volume values. It also highlights that three-dimensional semi-automatic segmentation-based methods provide more reliable assessments in renal volume analysis and contribute uniquely to the literature by incorporating novel morphometric parameters.

Keywords

Keywords: Hydronephrosis , Radiology , CT , Morphometric analysis.

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