IVIM Diffusion-Weighted MRI in Detecting Graft Function with Complications Immediately After Kidney Transplantations

Abstract

Delayed graft function (DGF) is a form of acute renal failure that results in post-transplantation oliguria, with various frequencies from 2% to 50%. Heretofore, there was a lack of imaging biomarkers to interpolate the DGF. The tri-exponential intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) model, providing three distinct signal fractions of a pure diffusion, an intermediate and an ultrafast component, is more preferable for the diffusion signal in the allograft kidneys than the mono- and bi-exponential models. Our experiment illustrates that tri-exponential IVIM model could provide a good indicator for distinguishing the early graft function, the delayed graft function without and with complications.