Abstract
Purpose. To describe the appearance of autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) on MRI and RARE-MR urography.
Materials and methods. Seven boys and one girl (aged 3 months to 14 years, median 2.5 years) were evaluated. Images were obtained with 0.23-T and 1.5-T MR systems using T1-weighted (T1-W) spin-echo, T2-weighted (T2-W) turbo-spin-echo and RARE-MR-urography sequences. Signal intensities, morphological appearance of the affected kidneys and, specifically, the picture of the urinary tract on RARE-MR-urography were evaluated.
Results. All children showed kidney enlargement, reniform but humpy kidney shape, homogeneously grainy renal parenchyma, normal renal pelvis and normal calyces. Signal intensity was hyperintense in T2-W images in all cases. In six cases (n = 7), T1-W images were hypointense. On RARE-MR urography a hyperintense, linear radial pattern was seen in the cortex and medulla which represents the characteristic microcystic dilatation of collecting ducts in ARPKD. Three boys and the girl presented with a few circumscribed small subcapsular cysts.
Conclusions. In order to confirm the diagnosis of ARPKD, RARE-MR urography seems to be a non-invasive imaging tool that shows directly the microcystic dilated water-filled collecting ducts.
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Received: 14 September 1999/Accepted: 24 September 1999
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Kern, S., Zimmerhackl, LB., Hildebrandt, F. et al. Appearance of autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease in magnetic resonance imaging and RARE-MR-urography. Pediatric Radiology 30, 156–160 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002470050035
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002470050035