title: Intravoxel incoherent motion modeling in the kidneys: Comparison of mono-, bi-, and triexponential fit.
abstract: To evaluate if a three-component model correctly describes the diffusion signal in the kidney and whether it can provide complementary anatomical or physiological information about the underlying tissue.
  
  
  
  Ten healthy volunteers were examined at 3T, with T2-weighted imaging, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM). Diffusion tensor parameters (mean diffusivity [MD] and fractional anisotropy [FA]) were obtained by iterative weighted linear least squares fitting of the DTI data and mono-, bi-, and triexponential fit parameters (D1, D2, D3, ffast2, ffast3, and finterm) using a nonlinear fit of the IVIM data. Average parameters were calculated for three regions of interest (ROIs) (cortex, medulla, and rest) and from fiber tractography. Goodness of fit was assessed with adjusted R2( Radj2) and the Shapiro-Wilk test was used to test residuals for normality. Maps of diffusion parameters were also visually compared.
  
  
  
  Fitting the diffusion signal was feasible for all models. The three-component model was best able to describe fast signal decay at low b values (b < 50), which was most apparent in Radj2 of the ROI containing high diffusion signals (ROIrest), which was 0.42 ± 0.14, 0.61 ± 0.11, 0.77 ± 0.09, and 0.81 ± 0.08 for DTI, one-, two-, and three-component models, respectively, and in visual comparison of the fitted and measured S0. None of the models showed significant differences (P > 0.05) between the diffusion constant of the medulla and cortex, whereas the ffastcomponent of the two and three-component models were significantly different (P < 0.001).
  
  
  
  Triexponential fitting is feasible for the diffusion signal in the kidney, and provides additional information.
  
  
  
  2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;46:228-239.
authors: MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
authors: Sophie
authors: 0000-0002-1592-3276
authors: S
authors: van Baalen
authors: Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Leemans
authors: Department of Pediatric Urology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Pieter
authors: P
authors: Dik
authors: Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Marc R
authors: MR
authors: Lilien
authors: MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
authors: Bennie
authors: B
authors: Ten Haken
authors: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Martijn
authors: 0000-0003-3841-0497
authors: M
authors: Froeling
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003198:Computer Simulation; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D007668:Kidney / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D009038:Motion; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: DTI; IVIM; diffusion MRI; diffusion tensor imaging; kidneys; tractography