Preliminary study on the kidney elasticity quantification in patients with chronic kidney disease using virtual touch...

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Medical Imaging
• Biophysics

Background:

• Virtual touch tissue quantification (VTTQ) offers objective measurements of tissue stiffness via shear wave velocity (SWV) values.
• Assessing kidney elasticity is crucial for understanding renal function and disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize kidney SWV values using VTTQ.
• To evaluate the clinical utility of VTTQ in identifying elasticity changes in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Main Methods:

• A study cohort included 65 patients with CKD and 70 healthy controls.
• VTTQ was employed to examine 270 kidneys, measuring elasticity as SWV.
• SWV values were correlated with serum creatinine (Scr)/BUN levels and pathological findings.

Main Results:

• Kidney SWV values decreased from cortex to medulla and sinus in both groups.
• Renal cortex SWV was significantly lower in CKD patients compared to healthy individuals (P < 0.05).
• A renal cortex SWV cutoff of <1.92 m/s accurately predicted renal insufficiency (sensitivity 84.4%, specificity 96.8%).

Conclusions:

• VTTQ is a sensitive method for detecting elasticity alterations in CKD patients.
• VTTQ demonstrates clinical value in predicting renal insufficiency.
• This technology offers a promising tool for CKD assessment.