Selection for biopsy of kidney transplant patients by diffusion-weighted MRI

To assess retrospectively whether diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) allows physicians to determine the severity of histopathologic findings in biopsies of renal allograft patients with deteriorating renal function. Forty consecutive kidney transplant patients underwent DW-MRI and biopsy. Patients were assigned to one group with severe and to another group with normal or mild histopathologic findings. These two groups were compared based on a qualitative DW-MRI assessment (homo-/heterogeneity) and the combination of qualitative and quantitative DW-MRI parameters (ADC, and intravoxel incoherent motion, IVIM, parameters: D, f, D*). Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were determined for each parameter. Biopsy findings were severe in 25 patients and normal or mild in 15 patients. Qualitative DW-MRI led to a sensitivity of 44.0% and a specificity of 93.3%. Combined qualitative and quantitative DW-MRI led to an accuracy of 80% for both the minimal ADC (ADCmin) and the minimal perfusion fraction (fmin) with a sensitivity of 84.0% and 92.0% and a specificity of 73.3% and 60.0%, respectively. Combined qualitative and quantitative DW-MRI might allow physicians to determine the severity of histopathologic findings in biopsies of a high number of kidney transplant patients. aEuro cent Qualitative DW-MRI is highly specific when predicting the severity of kidney transplant biopsy. aEuro cent Allografts appearing heterogeneous on ADC are associated with severe histopathologic findings. aEuro cent Combining qualitative and quantitative DW-MRI parameters improves the classification's sensitivity and accuracy. aEuro cent Kidney transplant biopsies might be spared by combining qualitative and quantitative DW-MRI.