Concentric-object and equiangular-object methods to perform standardized regional analysis in renal mpMRI

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Renal multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) offers insights into kidney function using sequences like T1-T2 mapping, Blood Oxygenation Level-Dependent (BOLD), Renal Blood Flow (RBF), and Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC).
• Standardized selection of Regions of Interest (ROIs) for renal mpMRI analysis is currently lacking consensus.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and compare Concentric Objects (CO) and Equiangular Objects (EO) methods for standardized ROI selection in renal mpMRI.
• To assess the efficacy of CO and EO methods in capturing regional variations of renal MRI parameters.

Main Methods:

• Twelve healthy volunteers underwent renal mpMRI scans.
• ROIs were selected manually and using CO and EO algorithms across various mpMRI sequences.
• Regional differences in renal MRI parameters were evaluated using these methods.

Main Results:

• Both CO and EO methods revealed statistically significant differences in mpMRI parameters across different renal regions.
• Significant variations in ASL-RBF, BOLD-MRI, and T2-map parameters were observed from the lower to upper kidney areas.

Conclusions:

• The CO and EO algorithms show potential for evaluating cortico-medullary and cranio-caudal profiles in renal mpMRI.
• The CO method is validated for BOLD and ADC measurements, and ASL-RBF and T1-T2 map profiles were presented.
• Further validation of the EO method in renal patients is recommended.