Doppler evaluation of renal resistivity index in healthy conscious horses and donkeys.
Authors: Freccero Francesca, Petrucelli Marina, Cipone Mario, Nocera Irene, Sgorbini Micaela
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Doppler evaluation of renal resistivity index in healthy conscious horses and donkeys Pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasonography offers a non-invasive method to assess renal vascular resistance via the renal resistive index (RRI), a parameter increasingly used to evaluate downstream arterial resistance and potentially screen for renal compromise. Freccero and colleagues successfully measured RRI at the level of the arcuate arteries in 33 healthy conscious horses and 9 donkeys, calculating the index from systolic and diastolic flow velocities and examining correlations with age, breed, bodyweight and body condition score. Right kidney RRI in horses was significantly higher (0.58±0.006) than left kidney RRI (0.51±0.006), whereas donkeys displayed comparable bilateral values; neither species showed meaningful associations between RRI and age (using 15 years as a threshold), bodyweight, or body condition. The lateralised difference in equine RRI warrants further investigation as a potential normal variant, whilst the absence of age-related changes suggests that RRI thresholds for detecting pathology may remain consistent across the lifespan, offering clinicians a standardised reference range for identifying renal vascular dysfunction in horses presenting with suspected renal disease or other systemic conditions affecting perfusion.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Doppler RRI measurement of the arcuate arteries is a feasible non-invasive ultrasound technique for evaluating renal perfusion in conscious horses during routine examinations
- •Right-left kidney asymmetry in RRI is normal in horses and should not be interpreted as pathological
- •RRI values appear independent of age and body metrics in healthy animals, suggesting this baseline reference may apply broadly across different horse types
Key Findings
- •Pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasonography successfully measured renal resistive index (RRI) in 33 healthy horses but not in 9 donkeys
- •Right kidney RRI in horses (0.58±0.006) was significantly higher than left kidney (0.51±0.006)
- •No significant correlation found between RRI and age, breed, bodyweight, or body condition score in either species