Renal parenchymal abnormalities associated with renal vein thrombosis: correlation between MR imaging and pathologic findings in rabbits.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to correlate abnormalities of the renal parenchyma seen on MR images with pathologic findings in rabbits with acute thrombosis of the renal vein.


METHODS
MR images were obtained in 21 rabbits before and 1 hr to 2 weeks after ligation of the renal vein. MR findings were correlated with pathologic findings.


RESULTS
The cross-sectional area of the kidney was 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.2, 1.3, and 1.0 times of its initial size at 1 hr, 3 hr, 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, and 2 weeks, respectively, after ligation of the renal vein. Corticomedullary contrast on T1-weighted images decreased persistently from 1 hr to 2 weeks after ligation. Between 1 hr and 1 week after ligation, T2-weighted images showed a layer with low signal intensity that was correlated with medullary congestion and hemorrhage on pathologic specimens.


CONCLUSIONS
MR images show a layer with low signal intensity in the renal medulla that probably represents medullary congestion and hemorrhage of the kidney in rabbits with acute thrombosis of the renal vein.
Kim
S H
SH
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Korea.
Byun
H S
HS
Park
J H
JH
Han
J K
JK
Han
M C
MC
Lee
J S
JS
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology*; D007679:Kidney Medulla / Q000473:pathology; D008026:Ligation; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D012082:Renal Veins / Q000473:pathology*; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*