OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of transabdominal ultrasonography for 
bladder volume and detrusor muscle thickness and to research the relationship of 
these measurements with age, height, and body mass index.
METHODS: We reviewed the records of 244 healthy, school-aged children from 
February to May 2003. After a complete urologic examination, the weight and 
height of all children were measured, and their body mass index was determined. 
Transabdominal ultrasonography with a high-frequency probe was performed to 
obtain the anterior, posterior, and lateral bladder wall thicknesses.
RESULTS: The mean age of the children was 10.7 +/- 3.6 years (range 7 to 15), 
and the mean bladder volume was 256 cm3 (range 78 to 790). The relationship 
between bladder volume and age was significant (P = 0.0001, r = 0.568). The mean 
anterior, posterior, and lateral detrusor thickness was 1.42 mm (range 0.8 to 
2.8), 1.57 mm (range 0.7 to 3.1), and 1.49 mm (range 0.6 to 2.6), respectively. 
The relationships between increasing age and the anterior and posterior wall 
thicknesses were significant (P <0.05), but the relationship between age and the 
lateral wall thickness was not (P >0.05). The relationship between bladder 
volume and body mass index was significant (P = 0.0001, r = 0.2959). A strong 
positive and significant correlation was found between the anterior (P = 0.0001) 
and posterior (P = 0.001) wall thicknesses and body mass index, but the 
correlation between the lateral wall thickness and body mass index was not 
significant (P = 0.079, r = 0.113).
CONCLUSIONS: Strong, positive correlations were found between the anterior and 
posterior wall detrusor thicknesses and increased age and body mass index, but 
the same correlations for lateral wall detrusor thickness were not found.