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Published on: May 30, 2011
Reproducibility of renal perfusion MR imaging in native and transplanted kidneys using non-contrast arterial spin
Nathan S Artz1, Elizabeth A Sadowski, Andrew L Wentland
1Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research, Madison, Wisconsin 53705-2275, USA.
Purpose:
To examine both inter-visit and intra-visit reproducibility of a MR arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion technique in native and transplanted kidneys over a broad range of renal function.
Materials And Methods:
Renal perfusion exams were performed at 1.5 T in a total of 24 subjects: 10 with native and 14 with transplanted kidneys. Using a flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR) ASL scheme, 32 control/tag pairs were acquired and processed using a single-compartment model. Two FAIR-ASL MR exams were performed at least 24 h apart on all the subjects to assess inter-visit reproducibility. ASL perfusion measurements were also repeated back-to-back within one scanning session in 8 native subjects and in 12 transplant subjects to assess intra-visit reproducibility. Intra-class correlations (ICCs) and coefficients of variation (CVs) were calculated as metrics of reproducibility.
Results:
Intra-visit ICCs ranged from 0.96 to 0.98 while CVs ranged from 4.8 to 6.0%. Inter-visit measurements demonstrated slightly more variation with ICCs from 0.89 to 0.94 and CVs from 7.6 to 13.1%. Medullary perfusion demonstrated greater variability compared with cortical blood flow: intra-visit ICCs from 0.72 to 0.78 and CVs from 16.7 to 26.7%, inter-visit ICCs from 0.13 to 0.63 and CVs from 19.8 to 37%.
Conclusion:
This study indicates that a FAIR-ASL perfusion technique is reproducible in the cortex of native and transplanted kidneys over a broad range in renal function. In contrast, perfusion measurements in the medulla demonstrated moderate to poor reproducibility for intra-visit and inter-visit measures respectively.
