[Nuclear medicine diagnosis of the kidneys]

Renal studies have a long tradition in nuclear medicine and are available for routine use for more than 30 years. Their high clinical acceptance is mainly based upon the fact that they allow for quantitative evaluation of different functional parameters such as glomerular filtration, effective renal plasma flow, or postrenal transport. The used methods are validated by experimental as well as numerous clinical studies and are performed throughout the world in a highly standardized way.

Indications are verification/exclusion of a disturbed renal function, detection or evaluation of renal artery stenosis, and differential diagnosis of urinary tract obstruction. Further diagnostic improvement might be achieved by use of positron emission tomography which has the potential for absolute quantification of physiological parameters such as renal blood flow in ml.min-1.100 g-1 tissue.