Reconstructive Ultrasound Elasticity Imaging for Renal Transplant Diagnosis: Kidney Ex Vivo Results

It may be possible to diagnose and monitor scarring, inflammation and edema in transplant kidney using reconstructive ultrasound elasticity imaging. Kidney elasticity is expected to change dramatically with scar, and to a lesser degree, with acute inflammation and edema. The hypothesis that changes in kidney elasticity can be imaged using a clinical ultrasound scanner was experimentally tested with an ex vivo canine kidney model, and results on a single pair of kidneys are reported in this paper. A cross-linking agent affected kidney elasticity both globally and locally. Elasticity changes were monitored with accurate estimates of internal displacement and strain followed by Young's modulus reconstruction. The results of this study strongly suggest that ultrasound elasticity imaging can detect elasticity changes in complex structures such as the kidney. Moreover, it has the potential to become an important clinical tool for renal transplant diagnosis.