Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR urography in the evaluation of pediatric hydronephrosis: Part 1, functional assessment

The purpose of our study was to derive time-intensity curves for the renal cortex and medulla from 3D dynamic MR urography and to assess whether these curves are predictive of obstruction.

Fifty-nine examinations were performed in 53 pediatric patients and the degree of obstruction assessed using the renal transit time. The cortex and medulla were segmented using a semiautomatic method, and mean time-intensity curves were derived for the segmented volumes. The basic parameters of the curves (amplitude, washout) were assessed, as was the presence of certain characteristic features of the curves.

The images allowed clear visualization of three phases of the uptake of contrast material in the cortex, the medulla, and the collecting system. Both the amplitude of the curves and the washout of the contrast material were predictive of obstruction. The distal tubular peak was reliably detected in the cortex of nonobstructed kidneys.

Combining signal-intensity-versus-time-curve analysis with the other parameters that can be derived from the same MR urography data set provides a powerful tool for the diagnosis of obstruction.