1974 Volume 65 Issue 5 Pages 273-284
The intrarenal distribution of blood flow measured by the 133Xe washout method was determined in eight patients with hydronephrosis and eight patients with normal kidney. None of the patients had evidence of systemic disease or cardiovascular disease. In the eight hydronephrotic kidneys, the average total renal blood flow was significantly lower than that in the normal kidneys (P<0.01). Cortical blood flow decreased significantly (P<0.001) but juxtamedullary blood flow was relatively well maintained in the hydronephrotic kidneys. The degree of reduced total renal blood flow and the redistribution of renal blood flow from the outer to the inner cortex were proportional to the degree of hydronephrosis estimated by intravenous pyelography, abdominal aortography and renogram.
In three cases of hydronephrosis, 133Xe washout was done before and after treatment. Total renal blood flow increased and redistribution of blood flow was recovered after treatment. The measurement of renal blood flow and its distribution in hydronephrosis by the 133Xe washout method is considered to be a useful check for kidney function. It is compatible with quantitative estimation of kidney function in hydronephrosis.
