At the First Medical Clinic of the Faculty Hospital in Prague 5 Motol a group of 15 men and 14 women treated on account of type I diabetes for a mean period of 12.8 +/- 5.8 years was examined. Their mean age was 26.3 +/- 5.8 years and their BMI 23.91 +/- 2.82. The control group was formed by 18 healthy subjects (10 men and 8 women) mean age 23.8 +/- 8.9 years, BMI 22.44 +/- 2.48. All subjects were subjected to a detailed ultrasonographic examination and, assessment of microalbuminuria. From the assembled sonomorphometric data the volume of the right kidney was related to the BMI and thus the renal volume index (RVI) was obtained. In the group of diabetic subjects a statistically significant correlation was found between RVI and microalbuminuria (r = 0.574, p < 0.01). In the group of patients with RVI higher than 7.44 a close correlation was found between microalbuminuria and RVI (r = 0.993, p < 0.05). In the group of patients with a duration of diabetes under 5 years no correlation between the investigated parameters and the RVI was found, nor a mutual correlation of parameters. In patients with diabetes persisting for 5-20 years correlation was found between microalbuminuria and RVI (r = 0.686, p < 0.01). In the group of patients with diabetes for more than 20 years there was no correlation between RVI and other indicators.

Keywords: Adult; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 /diagnostic imaging/; Diabetic Nephropathies /diagnostic imaging/; Female; Humans; Kidney /diagnostic imaging/; Male; Ultrasonography