Radiology, Vol 152, 113-116, Copyright © 1984 by Radiological Society of North America
Magnetic resonance evaluation of hydronephrosis in the dog
D Thickman, H Kundel and D Biery
The ability of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to detect and distinguish
various stages of obstruction in the canine kidney was investigated. MR
images were obtained at acute, subacute, and chronic stages of
experimentally produced hydronephrosis. The renal cortex was distinguished
from the renal medulla in the normal dog and in the acute and subacute
stages of hydronephrosis. T1 relaxation times of the renal cortex and
medulla were measured in vitro in 14 normal and nine experimental animals.
These values were used to compute the amount of tissue contrast between the
cortex and medulla and were compared with the degree of corticomedullary
differentiation seen in the image. A relationship was noted between
increasing T1 values and increasing water content. Corticomedullary
contrast decreased with obstruction. The variation in corticomedullary
image contrast may be useful for assessing the duration of hydronephrosis.
