Renal Water Molecular Diffusion Characteristics in Healthy Native Kidneys: Assessment with Diffusion Tensor MR Imaging

BACKGROUND: To explore the characteristics of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in healthy native kidneys. METHODS: Seventy-three patients without chronic kidney disease underwent DTI-MRI with spin echo-echo planar (SE-EPI) sequences accompanied by an array spatial sensitivity encoding technique (ASSET). Cortical and medullary mean, axial and radial diffusivity (MD, AD and RD), fractional anisotropy (FA) and primary, secondary and tertiary eigenvalues (λ(1), λ(2), λ(3)) were analysed in both kidneys and in different genders. RESULTS: Cortical MD, λ(2), λ(3), and RD values were higher than corresponding medullary values. The cortical FA value was lower than the medullary FA value. Medullary λ(1) and RD values in the left kidney were lower than in the right kidney. Medullary λ(2), and λ(3) values in women were higher than those in men. Medullary FA values in women were lower than those in men. Medullary FA (r = 0.351, P = 0.002) and λ(1) (r = 0.277, P = 0.018) positively correlated with eGFR. Medullary FA (r = −0.25, P = 0.033) negatively correlated with age. CONCLUSIONS: Renal water molecular diffusion differences exist in human kidneys and genders. Age and eGFR correlate with medullary FA and primary eigenvalue.