Childhood pyelonephritis: comparison of gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging and renal cortical scintigraphy for diagnosis.
OBJECTIVE
To compare gadolinium-enhanced inversion-recovery magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with renal cortical scintigraphy in the diagnosis of childhood pyelonephritis.


METHODS
Thirty-seven patients with fever-producing urinary tract infection underwent gadolinium-enhanced inversion-recovery MR imaging and technetium-99m renal cortical scintigraphy. Each study was read in double-blind fashion by two radiologists. The kidney was divided into three zones, and each was graded as positive, equivocal, or negative for pyelonephritis.


RESULTS
Seventy kidneys (210 zones) were imaged. Twenty-six kidneys (54 zones) had evidence of pyelonephritis at both MR imaging and scintigraphy. Twenty-four kidneys (100 zones) were negative on both studies. Twelve kidneys (42 zones) were positive at MR imaging but negative at scintigraphy, and four kidneys (seven zones) were negative at MR imaging but positive at scintigraphy. The results of MR imaging for pyelonephritis were not equivalent to the results of scintigraphy (P = .001 for renal zones). The proportion of positive agreement between readers for the presence of pyelonephritis was 0.85 and 0.57 for MR imaging and scintigraphy, respectively. The proportion of negative agreement was 0.88 and 0.80 for MR imaging and scintigraphy, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Gadolinium-enhanced inversion-recovery MR imaging enabled detection of more pyelonephritic lesions than did renal cortical scintigraphy and had superior interobserver agreement.
Lonergan
G J
GJ
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Tex., USA.
Pennington
D J
DJ
Morrison
J C
JC
Haws
R M
RM
Grimley
M S
MS
Kao
T C
TC
D000293:Adolescent; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003287:Contrast Media; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005334:Fever / Q000175:diagnosis; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007672:Kidney Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D015588:Observer Variation; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D011704:Pyelonephritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013400:Sugar Acids; D019783:Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid
D003287:Contrast Media; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013400:Sugar Acids; D019783:Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid; C100014:technetium Tc 99m gluceptate; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA