Absolute renal blood flow quantification by dynamic MRI and Gd-DTPA.
The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of the absolute renal blood flow quantification using MRI and injection of contrast media. Using a T1-weighted fast gradient sequence following an intravenous bolus injection of Gd-DTPA, dynamic images of the kidney were obtained in patients with well-functioning native kidneys (n = 7) or transplant (n = 9), with significant renal artery stenosis (n = 4) and with renal failure (n = 7). After signal intensity calibration, the absolute renal perfusion was equal to the wash-in slope of the renal transit curve divided by the contrast medium concentration at the peak of the bolus in the aorta. The cortical blood flow was 2.54+/-1.16 ml/min per gram in well-functioning kidneys decreasing to 1.09+/-0.75 ml/min per gram in case of renal artery stenosis (p = 0.04) and to 0.51+/-0.34 ml/min per gram in case of renal failure (P<0.001). These measurements were in agreement with previous results obtained by other methods. A standard MRI imaging sequence and a simple model can provide realistic quantitative data on renal perfusion. This work justifies further studies to compare this model with a gold standard for renal blood flow measurements.
Département de Radiologie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland.
J P
JP
Vallée
F
F
Lazeyras
H G
HG
Khan
F
F
Terrier
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000098:blood supply*; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D012016:Reference Values; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D012078:Renal Artery Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA