ABSTRACT
The widespread use of antenatal ultrasound (US) in the last 25-30 years has allowed the early identification of a number of congenital nephrourological abnormalities, which are now assessed with imaging soon after birth. The first imaging examination of the urinary tract should always be an abdominal US. With modern US equipment and well-trained personnel, it is possible to obtain anatomical detail of the entire urinary tract. The normal US appearance of the kidney in a neonate is of a slightly echo-bright cortex, when compared to the adjacent liver or spleen, with a slightly echo-poor medulla. In the neonate, features on US of echogenic areas within the kidneys may suggest nephrocalcinosis, and this is the most common cause of focally echo-bright kidneys following furosemide diuretic therapy. Radioisotope examinations provide an in vivo evaluation of the global and regional renal cortical function, with a precise estimate of the contribution of each kidney to the total renal function.
