Assessment of the renal collecting system using a pocket-sized ultrasound device

Purpose To assess the performance of a pocket-sized ultrasound device (PUD) for evaluating dilatation of the renal collecting system with high-end ultrasound devices (HUDs) as a reference standard. Methods One sonographer examined both kidneys using a PUD to evaluate dilatation of the collecting system. The grading of the dilatation ranged from 0 to 4. Immediately after the examination, another sonographer blinded to the previous results performed a formal examination with a HUD. Results Two hundred kidneys in 100 patients were included in the analysis. The agreement of grades between the PUD and HUDs was excellent (weighted kappa = 0.83; P