Four-dimensional phase-contrast vastly undersampled isotropic projection reconstruction (4D PC-VIPR) MR evaluation of the renal arteries in transplant recipients: Preliminary results.
To assess the performance of four-dimensional phase-contrast vastly undersampled isotropic projection reconstruction (4D PC-VIPR) at 3.0T in depicting intrarenal arteries compared with computed tomography angiography (CTA), and its correlation with arterial flowmetry in comparison with Doppler ultrasonography (DUS).



In our prospective single-arm study, subjects were 25 patients who underwent renal transplant-related surgery at our hospital between July 2011 and June 2015. In the morphological study, depictions of renal artery branches delineated by magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)/4D PC-VIPR without gadolinium contrast agent were compared in seven living transplant recipients with the same kidney delineated by CTA in seven living transplant donors. In the flowmetric study, flow velocities in the renal (main stem), segmental, and interlobar arteries during systole and diastole were measured in 12 recipients using noncontrast MRA/4D PC-VIPR, and were compared with those obtained from DUS.



Concerning MRA, average confidence levels of delineation rated by six observers for secondary to third level renal artery branches were 82.9-100% and for the fourth to fifth branches were 60.8-89.7% (average kappa value of 0.588 [95% confidence interval: 0.522-0.653]). Total flow velocities measured using 4D PC-VIPR and DUS demonstrated significant correlations during both systole and diastole with acceptable bias (r = 0.902; P < 0.001 in systole and r = 0.734; P < 0.001 in diastole).



4D PC-VIPR was useful in generating both morphological and hemodynamic information for evaluation of transplant intrarenal arteries without the need for contrast media.



2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;46:595-603.
Department of Urology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan.
Daisuke
D
Motoyama
Department of Surgery, Kidney Center, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Yasuo
Y
Ishii
Department of Fundamental Development for Advanced Low Invasive Diagnostic Imaging, Nagoya University, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
Yasuo
Y
Takehara
Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan.
Masataka
M
Sugiyama
Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan.
Wang
W
Yang
Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan.
Hatsuko
H
Nasu
Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan.
Takasuke
T
Ushio
Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan.
Yuko
Y
Hirose
Department of Radiology, Hamamatsu University Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan.
Naoki
N
Ohishi
Applied Science Laboratory Asia Pacific, GE Healthcare Japan, Tokyo, Japan.
Tetsuya
T
Wakayama
Department of Medical Physics and Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Hiroyuki
H
Kabasawa
Department of Medical Physics and Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Kevin
K
Johnson
Department of Medical Physics and Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Oliver
O
Wieben
Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan.
Harumi
H
Sakahara
Department of Urology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan.
Seiichiro
S
Ozono
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000737:chemistry; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D066027:Transplant Recipients; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler
D003287:Contrast Media; D005682:Gadolinium
Doppler ultrasonography; PC-VIPR; hemodynamics; noncontrast MRA; transplant renal vessels; vascular morphologies