Early renal function assessment and follow-up after renal transplantation using various diffusion models

Motivation: Although renal biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of renal allograft dysfunction, it is an invasive procedure. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to evaluate renal allograft function in a noninvasive manner. Goal(s): To investigate the utilities of various diffusion models in evaluating early renal allograft function. Approach: Follow-up MRI was performed at 14, 30, and 90 days after renal transplantation to evaluate correlations between MRI parameters and estimated glomerular filtration rate, along with their abilities to measure renal function after transplantation. Results: Various diffusion models can reflect changes in early renal function after transplantation. Impact: Intravoxel incoherent motion and diffusion kurtosis imaging models may serve as useful tools to investigate early renal function after transplantation.