Renal Susceptibility Imaging: Analysis of Susceptibility Weighted Imaging and Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping in Transplanted Kidneys

Abstract

Renal susceptibility imaging is challenging due to the motion artifacts in kidney. In this study, susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) and quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) were performed on transplanted kidney patients, who show less kidney motions. QSM images successfully demonstrated oxygen gradients in kidney, i.e., the hypoxic state in medulla and the fully oxygenated state in cortex. Heterogeneous susceptibility distributions were observed near medullary veins, presumably due to medullary hypoxia and incomplete local phase unwrapping. Further studies are necessary for more complete local phase unwrapping and quantification of oxygenation levels in medullary veins from QSM images.