title: Ultrasound image fusion - clinical implementation and potential benefits for monitoring of renal transplants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the feasibility of US image fusion in the clinical routine and to discuss potential benefits for follow-up after renal transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  15 patients with a renal transplant were prospectively included in the study. For all of them, a previously performed CT- or MRI-scan covering the renal transplant was available. Each patient was investigated using ultrasound image fusion. Time needed for sucessful implementation of image fusion was registered. Subsequently, quality of image fusion was assessed by two experienced radiologists (10 and 5 years of experience) in consensus using a subjective 5 point rank scale (1 = best).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Image fusion was successfully performed in all patients. Time needed for setup of image fusion varied from 45-120 sec (85 ± 5 sec). The score for quality of US image fusion was 1.9 ± 0.7.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Assessment of renal transplants using US image fusion is feasible and provides several potential benefits for the follow-up of renal transplants.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Klinische Radiologie, Klinikum der Ludwigs-Maximilian-Universität München - Campus Grosshadern, München, Deutschland. andreas.helck@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Helck
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Notohamiprodjo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Danastasi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meinel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reiser
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Clevert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014463:Ultrasonography