Renal Resistive Index Along the Renal Arterial Tree: Do Kidney and Cardiovascular Associations Depend on the Measurement Site? A Scoping Review
- 1Faculty of Medicine, University of Warsaw, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
- 2Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland
- 3Department of Internal Diseases, Nephrology and Dialysis, Military Institute of Medicine—National Research Institute, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland
Abstract
Objective: The renal resistive index (RRI), measured by Doppler ultrasonography, is commonly used to assess renal vascular-interstitial damage. However, the RRI may be associated with cardiovascular and general hemodynamic factors, as well as with structural and functional changes within the kidney. These associations may be influenced by the measurement location of the RRI. This scoping review aimed to evaluate differences in RRI associations with hemodynamic or structural and functional alterations in the kidney across measurements at different sites along the renal arterial tree. Methods: A search of the PubMed database was conducted to identify studies evaluating the association between the RRI measured at different levels of the renal arterial tree. Separate search strategies were used for the main renal artery, segmental/interlobar arteries, and intraparenchymal cortical vessels. Studies were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: A total of 888 publications were identified. After applying the exclusion criteria, the final analysis included 6 papers on main arteries, 30 on segmental arteries, and 7 on parenchymal arteries. All analyzed publications showed associations between the RRI and cardiovascular or renal factors, or both. Conclusions: Available data suggest that the relationship between the renal resistive index and systemic or local changes may vary by measurement site. However, reliable studies directly comparing RRI associations across measurement sites are lacking. Therefore, current evidence does not establish whether RRI measurements obtained at different sites can be used interchangeably.
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BibTeX
@article{brylowska2026renal,
title = {{Renal Resistive Index Along the Renal Arterial Tree: Do Kidney and Cardiovascular Associations Depend on the Measurement Site? A Scoping Review}},
author = {Julia Bryłowska and Tymoteusz Lubas and Arkadiusz Lubas},
journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/jcm15218466},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8466},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Renal Resistive Index Along the Renal Arterial Tree: Do Kidney and Cardiovascular Associations Depend on the Measurement Site? A Scoping Review
AU - Julia Bryłowska
AU - Tymoteusz Lubas
AU - Arkadiusz Lubas
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Journal of Clinical Medicine
DO - 10.3390/jcm15218466
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8466
AB - Objective: The renal resistive index (RRI), measured by Doppler ultrasonography, is commonly used to assess renal vascular-interstitial damage. However, the RRI may be associated with cardiovascular and general hemodynamic factors, as well as with structural and functional changes within the kidney. These associations may be influenced by the measurement location of the RRI. This scoping review aimed to evaluate differences in RRI associations with hemodynamic or structural and functional alterations in the kidney across measurements at different sites along the renal arterial tree. Methods: A search of the PubMed database was conducted to identify studies evaluating the association between the RRI measured at different levels of the renal arterial tree. Separate search strategies were used for the main renal artery, segmental/interlobar arteries, and intraparenchymal cortical vessels. Studies were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: A total of 888 publications were identified. After applying the exclusion criteria, the final analysis included 6 papers on main arteries, 30 on segmental arteries, and 7 on parenchymal arteries. All analyzed publications showed associations between the RRI and cardiovascular or renal factors, or both. Conclusions: Available data suggest that the relationship between the renal resistive index and systemic or local changes may vary by measurement site. However, reliable studies directly comparing RRI associations across measurement sites are lacking. Therefore, current evidence does not establish whether RRI measurements obtained at different sites can be used interchangeably.
SN - 2077-0383
ER -