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Optimizing functional MR urography: prime time for a 30-minutes-or-less fMRU
Jorge Delgado1, Maria A Bedoya, Melkamu Adeb
1Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th Street and Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA, jorge.delgado.londono@gmail.com.
Pediatric Radiology
|March 21, 2015
Summary
Streamlining functional MR urography (fMRU) significantly reduces scan times. A protocol with four pre-contrast sequences and a shortened dynamic scan is sufficient for accurate results.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
- Pediatric Imaging
Background:
- Current functional MR urography (fMRU) protocols are lengthy, hindering clinical adoption.
- Long scan times in fMRU limit its widespread use in pediatric and young adult populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To optimize functional MR urography (fMRU) protocols by reducing scan time.
- To identify essential imaging sequences for fMRU without compromising diagnostic accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of eight standard fMRU sequences in 99 pediatric and young adult patients.
- Evaluation of sequence utility and duration to determine essential components for efficient fMRU.
Main Results:
- Five sequences were identified as essential for comprehensive fMRU.
- Significant diagnostic information was obtained within 8 minutes of dynamic post-contrast imaging.
- Certain sequences (coronal fat-saturated T2, coronal T1, post-contrast sagittal fat-saturated T1) were found to be non-essential.
Conclusions:
- A reduced fMRU protocol, including four pre-contrast sequences and a shortened dynamic scan, is sufficient.
- Optimized fMRU acquisition time can be reduced to approximately 30 minutes, including inter-sequence intervals.
- Prone positioning is recommended for dynamic imaging, particularly in cases of high-grade pelvicalyceal dilation, to improve renal transit time assessment.
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