Sonographic Evaluation of Renal Cortical Thickness and Renal Parenchymal Changes as a Predictor of Renal Function Impairment in Hypertensive Patients

Objective: The aim was to evaluate the effect of hypertension on renal function by sonographic evaluation of renal cortical thickness and renal parenchymal changes. Study design: It was an Analytical Cross Sectional study. Placement and duration of study: The study was conducted at Rashad Hospital Shahkot from September to December 2024. Material and Methods: The study was started on 100 patients above 30 years of age who had history of hypertension. Purposive sampling technique (non-Random) was done. Renal Ultrasound was performed by using Toshiba NEMIO 200, convex probe 3-5 MHz and all the collected data was analyzed by using SPSS. Renal cortical thickness and renal parenchymal changes were assessed to check their effect on renal function impairment. Results: 100 patients total in which 59 females and 41 male patients with hypertension were added. The correlation coefficient (R) between the observed and predicted values of the dependent variable (CGeGFR) is 0.375, indicating a moderate positive correlation between the independent variable and the dependent variable. R² = 0.140, which means that approximately 14% of the variance is explained by the independent variable P-value, is 0.000, indicating that the model is statistically significant. Conclusion: The assessment of Renal Cortical Thickness and changes in Renal Parenchyma through ultrasound may serve as indicators of renal function deterioration in individuals with hypertension. Research indicates that the predictor Mean Cortical Thickness exhibits a significant correlation with the dependent variable CGeGFR. Therefore, incorporating the evaluation of Renal Cortical Thickness and Renal Parenchymal Changes into routine examinations of hypertensive patients could provide important diagnostic and prognostic insights. Key words: Hypertension, Ultrasound, Renal Cortical Thickness and Renal Parenchymal Changes