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Published in: European Radiology 10/2012

01-10-2012 | Urogenital

Quantitative elastography of renal transplants using supersonic shear imaging: a pilot study

Authors: Nicolas Grenier, Séverine Poulain, Sébastien Lepreux, Jean-Luc Gennisson, Benjamin Dallaudière, Yann Lebras, Eric Bavu, Aude Servais, Vannary Meas-Yedid, Mathieu Piccoli, Thomas Bachelet, Mickaël Tanter, Pierre Merville, Lionel Couzi

Published in: European Radiology | Issue 10/2012

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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the reliability of quantitative ultrasonic measurement of renal allograft elasticity using supersonic shear imaging (SSI) and its relationship with parenchymal pathological changes.

Materials and methods

Forty-three kidney transplant recipients (22 women, 21 men) (mean age, 51 years; age range, 18–70 years) underwent SSI elastography, followed by biopsy. The quantitative measurements of cortical elasticity were performed by two radiologists and expressed in terms of Young’s modulus (kPa). Intra- and inter-observer reproducibility was assessed (Kruskal-Wallis test and Bland-Altman analysis), as well as the correlation between elasticity values and clinical, biological and pathological data (semi-quantitative Banff scoring). Interstitial fibrosis was evaluated semi-quantitatively by the Banff score and measured by quantitative image analysis.

Results

Intra- and inter-observer variation coefficients of cortical elasticity were 20 % and 12 %, respectively. Renal cortical stiffness did not correlate with any clinical parameters, any single semi-quantitative Banff score or the level of interstitial fibrosis; however, a significant correlation was observed between cortical stiffness and the total Banff scores of chronic lesions and of all elementary lesions (R = 0.34, P = 0.05 and R = 0.41, P = 0.03,respectively).

Conclusion

Quantitative measurement of renal cortical stiffness using SSI is a promising non-invasive tool to evaluate global histological deterioration.

Key Points

Supersonic shear imaging elastography can measure cortical stiffness in renal transplants
The level of cortical stiffness is correlated with the global degree of tissue lesions
The global histological deterioration of transplanted kidneys can be quantified using elastography
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Metadata
Title
Quantitative elastography of renal transplants using supersonic shear imaging: a pilot study
Authors
Nicolas Grenier
Séverine Poulain
Sébastien Lepreux
Jean-Luc Gennisson
Benjamin Dallaudière
Yann Lebras
Eric Bavu
Aude Servais
Vannary Meas-Yedid
Mathieu Piccoli
Thomas Bachelet
Mickaël Tanter
Pierre Merville
Lionel Couzi
Publication date
01-10-2012
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
European Radiology / Issue 10/2012
Print ISSN: 0938-7994
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1084
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-012-2471-9

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