Surface coil imaging of the kidney transplant

Seventy-five MR imaging examinations were performed on 51 patients who had received renal allografts. Studies were performed using a 1.5-T superconductive unit operating at 0.5 T, in spin-echo mode with varying pulsing factors. Surface coils were systematically used for signal detection. After qualitative analysis of the MR imaging appearances of the kidneys, results were correlated with the patients' clinical conditions and with pathological studies. T-1 weighted images were the most sensitive in revealing corticomedullary differentiation (CMD). All normally functioning kidneys had the same typical appearance, with excellent CMD. Acute tubular necrosis with good prognosis had a similar appearance. On average, CMD was altered during acute rejection episodes, but it remained preserved in 31% of cases. In such cases, the cortex thickness and the kidney's behavior during multiecho sequences were valuable factors that improved accurate discrimination of acute rejection