Hersh Chandarana1, Vivian S. Lee1, David Stoffel1, Laura Barisoni-Thomas2, Devon G. John3, Thomas Diflo3, Eric E. Sigmund1
1Radiology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; 2Pathology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; 3Transplant Surgery, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
Renal tubular structure and function may be investigated non-invasively using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Patients with healthy and diseased renal allografts were investigated with DTI. Our study demonstrates higher medullary fractional anisotropy (FA) in normal transplant compared to patient with acute rejection, which has little corticomedullary differentiation. Inflammatory changes in the renal medulla due to acute rejection with disruption of tubular structure and function is entertained as a possible hypothesis. This study suggests possible role for DTI in evaluation of renal dysfunction.
Keywords