Corticomedullary differentiation on T1-Weighted MRI: comparison between cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether corticomedullary differentiation (CMD) is increased in patients with cirrhosis compared to controls on axial T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).


METHODS
Sixty patients with cirrhosis and 60 age-matched controls without renal disease underwent axial, T1-weighted in-phase gradient echo abdominal MRI. Each group of 60 was subdivided into three groups of 20 patients based on age: 18 to 45 years old; 45 to 65 years old; and greater than 65 years old. Signal intensity measurements of regions of interest obtained within the cortex and medulla of each kidney were recorded and the cortex-to-medulla contrast-to-noise ratio (CM-CNR) was calculated. Each patient's estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was recorded.


RESULTS
Mean CM-CNR for both kidneys in cirrhotic patients (19.1 ± 10.5) was significantly higher than in controls (12.4 ± 5.0) (P < 0.0001). No significant correlation was observed between CM-CNR and eGFR levels for both cirrhotics and controls (P > 0.05). When stratified by age groups, no difference was observed in the mean CM-CNR for both kidneys among these three subgroups for both cirrhotics and controls (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Cirrhotic patients with normal renal function have an increased CMD compared to age-matched controls.
Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. kslee@bidmc.harvard.edu
Karen S
KS
Lee
Amelia
A
Muñoz
Adán Bello
AB
Báez
Long
L
Ngo
Neil M
NM
Rofsky
Ivan
I
Pedrosa
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies