MR renography by semiautomated image analysis: Performance in renal transplant recipients

We evaluated a method of semiautomated analysis of dynamic MR image series in renal transplants. Nine patients were studied twice, with an average tim e interval of 7 days. MR examination consisted of a run of 256 T1-weighted coronal scans (GE; TR/TE/flip: = 11/3.4/60 degrees; slice thickness = 6 mm; temporal resolution = 2 seconds). Gadolinium-DTPA (0.05 mmol/kg) was Injec ted with an injector pump (5 ml/seconds). MR renographs of the cortex and m edulla were obtained by segmentation of the renal transplant and placement of two regions of interest (ROIs) overlying the peripheral and central rena l parenchyma. In the first 100 frames of the renographs, analysis of varian ce (ANOVA) demonstrated significant intraclass correlation coefficients wit h mean values for the cortex and medulla of 0.47 and 0.59, respectively. We conclude that the procedure is a robust technique that generates meaningfu l signal curves. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.