Quantitative Assessment of Renal Steatosis in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients Using IDEAL-IQ Imaging: Reproducibility and Implications

Motivation: Renal parenchymal fat deposits play a crucial role in the development of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Noninvasive measurement of renal parenchymal fat deposits using functional MRI provides valuable insights into the pathogenesis of DKD. Goal(s): Exploring the reproducibility of IDEAL-IQ imaging in quantifying renal lipid deposition and to investigate the differences observed in DKD patients. Approach: A total of 26 healthy participants underwent two IDEAL-IQ scans without repositioning and 96 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients underwent a single IDEAL-IQ scan. Results: IDEAL-IQ imaging is a reproducible technique for noninvasively quantifying renal lipid deposition. Furthermore, the technique shows promising performance in staging DKD. Impact: This study highlights the potential benefits of IDEAL-IQ imaging in evaluating renal lipid deposition in DKD patients. It contributes to a better understanding of the pathogenesis and progression of DKD, to improved diagnostic and management strategies for T2DM patients.