Diagnostic Value of Renal Duplex Doppler Ultrasonography in the Evaluation of Renal Amiloidosis Associated with Familial Mediterranean Fever

Aim: Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is the most common periodic fever syndrome among autoinflammatory syndromes.The most severe complication of this disease is the developmentof amyloidosis. Our aim was to evaluate the hemodynamic changes in renal and intrarenal vascular structures by renal duplexDoppler ultrasonography (RDDUS) in pediatric FMF patients with proteinuria who were using colchicine. Material and Method: 43 children with FMF who were followed up regularly and using colchicine and 20 healthy children were included in the study. The patient characteristics and protein, creatinine and protein/creatinine ratios in the spot urine were analyzed of the patient and control groups. RDDUS examination was performed in both groups, and resistivity index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) values obtained from the upper pole, middle section, lower pole and main renal arteries of both kidneys were recorded. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the RDDUS analysis measurements obtained from the patient group and the protein/creatinine ratio in spot urine, which is an indirect indicator of proteinuria (p>0.05). RI values obtained from the upper pole of the right kidney were found to be significantly higher in control group compared to patinet group in RDDUS analysis (p=0.002).There was no significant difference in the other RDDUS parameters between the two groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: Although RDDUS is an easily applicable test in FMF with renal vascular involvement, RDDUS findings may be indistinct in patients using colchicine, which prevents amyloidosis that may cause renal damage.