Bone disease (BD) is a frequent finding in patients with chronic renal insufficiency. Early detection and treatment of BD is necessary to prevent severe bone deformities. Recently, new techniques of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and ultrasound densitometry (UD) have been developed to measure bone mineral density (BMD). We studied 45 patients aged 14.9 ± 4.1 years with various stages of chronic renal insufficiency, all children underwent DEXA and UD exam at the same time. BMD and bone mineral content (BMC) is decreased in preterminal renal failure, dialysis and renal transplanted patients. Significant correlation was found between broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and site specific BMD and BMC evaluated by DEXA (r = 0.69, p = 0.001 and 0.66, p = 0.01, respectively). Similarly, BUA predicted well the whole body BMD and BMC (r = 0.60 and 0.67, respectively). No correlation was found between UD and DEXA expressed in standard deviation scores. In conclusion, a significantly decreased bone mineral density was observed in preterminal renal failure, dialysis and transplanted patients. Parameters of ultrasound densitometry correlate well with site specific and whole body mineral density and bone mineral content. Ultrasound bone densitometry offers an attractive, simple and noninvasive prospective to evaluate bone quantity and quality in children.

        Key words: bone disease, chronic renal insufficiency, ultrasound densitometry, dual energy X-ray absorptio- metry DEXA