Rapid estimation of split renal function in kidney donors using software developed for computed tomographic renal...

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Accurate assessment of split renal function (SRF) is crucial for kidney donor evaluation.
• Traditional methods for volumetric analysis can be time-consuming.
• Split renal volume (SRV) measurement offers a potential alternative for estimating SRF.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the speed and precision of a new CT volumetry software for SRV measurement.
• To assess the usefulness of SRV derived from this software for estimating SRF in kidney donors.

Main Methods:

• Compared SRV measurements from new software (n-SRV) with a conventional workstation (z-SRV) in 28 potential kidney donors.
• Correlated SRV with SRF determined by (99m)Tc-DMSA scintigraphy.
• Utilized dynamic CT and renal scintigraphy data.

Main Results:

• The new software significantly reduced volumetry time (16.7s vs. 102.6s, p<0.0001).
• n-SRV showed high consistency with z-SRV (mean discrepancy 0.12±0.84%).
• n-SRV correlated well with SRF (mean discrepancy 0.25±1.65%), correctly identifying the dominant side in 92.9% of cases.

Conclusions:

• The new CT volumetry software is faster and as accurate as conventional methods.
• SRV measurement using this software is a useful tool for estimating SRF and identifying the dominant kidney in potential kidney donors.