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Abstract #4135

Characteristics and Reproducibility of the Arterial Input Function (AIF) Derived from Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE-MRI) Studies and Its Effect on Renal Functional Parameters

Marica Cutajar1,2, Iosif A. Mendichovszky3, Paul S. Tofts2, Isky Gordon1

1Radiology and Physics, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, UK; 2Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK; 3Imaging Science and Biomedical Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK


There are numerous publication in peer reviewed journals claiming that DCE-MRI can be used clinically to measure functional renal parameters. Review of the literature suggests that these claims are premature because of the large number of variables that must be taken into account. Most analysis of DCE-MRI use an arterial input function (AIF), there is no published work on either the reproducibility or the importance of the size and only a single publication on inter-observer reproducibility of AIF. This work is unique in having two DCE-MRI scans in the same healthy volunteer so that critical variables of the AIF can be assessed.