Ultrasonographic assessment of bladder wall thickness in healthy Indian subpopulation

Background: Ultrasound of abdomen and pelvis is a commonly advised investigation in our clinical practice. Bladder wall thickness (BWT) can be easily assessed by ultrasonography. A consensus on the normal values of bladder wall thickness is lacking. There are no studies regarding normal BWT in Indian subpopulation. Objective: Our aim was to determine normal bladder wall thickness by ultrasound in adult healthy Indian subpopulation and to study the impact of age and sex on the normal bladder wall thickness. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting, and Participants: We studied 200 patients, undergoing ultrasound (USG) of abdomen and Pelvis for non-urological causes from January 2016 to January 2017. At a bladder volume of >250ml; anterior, posterior, right and left lateral bladder wall thickness were measured. Mean of all the four wall thickness was taken to obtain the mean bladder wall thickness. Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: Data was analyzed using Excel software. The differences of the mean analysis variables were tested with t- test, ANOVA and p- value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results and Limitations: Mean BWT in our study population was 3.08 ± 0.76mm. Gender did not have a significant impact on the normal bladder wall thickness. Conclusions: Bladder wall thickness as measured by ultrasonography offers a simple, non-invasive and reliable method to predict various pathologies. In lieu of different wall thickness of different walls of bladder, one needs to measure the thickness of all the four walls and take their mean to obtain the mean BWT. Bladder wall thickness of any individual above the normal deduced values in our study should raise a suspicion of pathology. Patient Summary: We studied 200 patients undergoing ultrasound (USG) abdomen and pelvis for non-urological causes. We found that mean BWT in our study population representing Indian population was 3.08 ± 0.76mm.