Feasibility of applying ultrasound strain imaging to detect renal transplant chronic allograft nephropathy.
Chronic renal transplantation fibrosis, often termed Chronic Allograft Nephropathy, may progress undetected. Since renal fibrosis may be accompanied by a change in measurable elastic tissue properties, ultrasound strain management may be useful in it detection. Ultrasound strain imaging was performed for two subjects with renal transplants; one with normal renal function and one with mild renal insufficiency and biopsy demonstrated fibrosis. Subjects underwent ultrasound examination with application of a controlled deformation using phase-sensitive, two-dimensional speckle tracking to evaluate internal tissue motion to measure tissue displacement and strain. Measurements over multiple beams for an equivalent deformational stress showed there was a threefold difference in renal cortical strain between the two subjects. These data suggest that ultrasound elasticity imaging may prove useful in measuring mechanical changes related to fibrosis with the transplant kidney.
Weitzel
William F
WF
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. weitzel@umich.edu
Kim
Kang
K
Rubin
Jonathan M
JM
Wiggins
Roger C
RC
Xie
Hua
H
Chen
Xunchang
X
Emelianov
Stanislav Y
SY
O'Donnell
Matthew
M
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004548:Elasticity; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007672:Kidney Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014463:Ultrasonography