Background

Despite importance of accurate measurement of renal dimension in cats with renal diseases, literatures related to measurement of renal dimension in cats are relatively lacking.

Aim

To enrich the reference related to normal renal dimension of domestic short hair cats in diagnostic imaging studies.

Methods

Renal length and width dimension were determined by survey radiography and excretory urography in 50 Korean domestic cats. Renal dimension were also determined as a ratio to the second lumbar vertebrae (Renal dimension ratio).

Results

Renal dimensions in survey radiography were: right kidney length 4.31±0.50 cm (mean±SD), right kidney width 3.10±0.36 cm, left kidney length 4.17±0.48 cm, left kidney width 3.03±0.34 cm, right kidney length ratio 2.37±0.21, right kidney width ratio 1.71±0.15, left kidney length ratio 2.30±0.20, and left kidney width ratio 1.38±0.08, respectively. Renal dimensions in excretory urography were: right kidney length 4.56±0.53 cm, right kidney width 3.29±0.37 cm, left kidney length 4.43±0.47 cm, left kidney width 3.22±0.33 cm, right kidney length ratio 2.51±0.22, right kidney width ratio 1.81±0.17, left kidney length ratio 2.45±0.20, left kidney width ratio 1.78±0.16, respectively.

Conclusion

There were significant difference in renal size and renal dimension ratio measured from contrast studies compared with survey radiographs (p<0.05). There were also significant difference in renal size and renal length ratio for right kidneys versus left kidneys (p<0.05).