IN-VIVO COMPARISON OF 3D ULTRASONOGRAPHY AND MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING IN VOLUME ESTIMATION OF HUMAN KIDNEYS

The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of a three-di mensional ultrasound system (3D-US) compared with Magnetic Resonance I maging (MRI) in volume estimation of human kidneys in vivo. Twenty hea lthy volunteers were scanned fasting in supine position with MRI and w ith a 3D-US. An ultrasound sector scanner with a mechanical transducer coupled to a tilting motor provided images of multiple sections of ki dneys. A 3.25-MHz transducer was tilted through 88 degrees yielding 81 frames, and volume estimation was performed on a Unix workstation aft er manual contour indication. Data acquisition with MRI was performed by using a 1-T magnet. Eighteen included kidneys [mean +/- standard de viation (SD)] measured 155.7 +/- 26.4 mL (range 110.0-205.0 mL) by 3D ultrasound and 171.8 +/- 24.6 mL (range 127.5-211.0 mL) by MRI, yieldi ng a good correlation (r = 0.82, p < 0.001) between the two methods. T he mean difference was -16.1 +/- 15.6 mL (SD) and the limits of agreem ent were -49.0 mL; 16.7 mL. We conclude that this 3D-US is accurate in volume estimation of human kidneys in vivo.