Detection of acute renal ischemia in swine using blood oxygen level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the feasibility and sensitivity of blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect acute renal ischemia, using a swine model, and to present the causes of variability and assess techniques that minimize variability introduced during data analysis.


METHODS
BOLD MRI was performed in axial and coronal planes of the kidneys of five swine. Color R2* maps were calculated and mean R2* values and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the cortex and medulla were determined for baseline, renal artery occlusion and reperfusion conditions. Paired Student's t-tests were used to determine significance.


RESULTS
Mean R2* measurements increased from baseline during renal artery occlusion in the cortex (axial, 13.8-24.6 second(-1); coronal, 14.4-24.7 second(-1)) and medulla (axial, 19.3-32.2 second(-1); coronal, 20.1-30.7 second(-1)). These differences were significant for both the cortex (axial, P < 0.04; coronal, P < 0.005) and medulla (axial, P < 0.02; coronal, P < 0.0005). No significant change was observed in the contralateral kidney.


CONCLUSIONS
R2* values were significantly higher than baseline for medulla and cortex during renal artery occlusion. More variability exists in R2* measurements in the medulla than the cortex and in the axial than the coronal plane.
Alford
Sara K
SK
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 53792-3252, USA.
Sadowski
Elizabeth A
EA
Unal
Orhan
O
Polzin
Jason A
JA
Consigny
Daniel W
DW
Korosec
Frank R
FR
Grist
Thomas M
TM
D000818:Animals; D007511:Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007668:Kidney / Q000098:blood supply*; D007672:Kidney Cortex / Q000098:blood supply; D007679:Kidney Medulla / Q000098:blood supply; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D013552:Swine
D010100:Oxygen