ABSTRACT
The diagnosis and management of the patient with renal disease at times require, besides measurement of the serum electrolytes. The acquisition of functional information which may include: total renal blood flow, effective renal plasma flow, glomerular filtration rate, morphology of the kidney, postvoiding residual urine volume, ureterovesical reflux and general evaluation of the integrity of the urinary collecting system. The structural and functional unit of the kidney is the nephron which consists of a single glomerulus composed of a capillary network which is intimately attached to the renal tubular system. Arterial blood entering the kidney passes through the glomerular capillaries where it is subjected to ultrafiltration that results in the passage of water and water-soluble low and medium molecular weight materials from the bloodstream to the lumen of the nephron. A large number of radiopharmaceuticals have been suggested for measuring renal function.
