Lale Umutlu1, Stephan Orzada2,
Sonja Kinner, Stefan Maderwald2, Irina Brote2, Andreas
K. Bitz2, Oliver Kraff2, Susanne C. Ladd2,
Gerald Antoch, Mark E. Ladd2, Harald H. Quick2, Thomas
C. Lauenstein
1Department of Diagnostic and
Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen ,
Essen, Germany; 2Erwin L.Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance
Imaging
Aim
of this study was to assess the feasibility of contrast-enhanced kidney MRI
at 7T. 8 healthy subjects were examined at a 7T whole-body MR system utilizing
a custom-built 8-channel RF transmit/receive body coil. Qualitative analysis
showed best overall image quality for T1w 2D FLASH imaging and strongest
artifact impairment for T2w TSE imaging. Quantitative analysis showed
continuous increase of SNR after iv. Gadolinium administration on T1w images
and best corticomedullar differentiation in the arterial phase. This first
attempt of 7T kidney imaging reveals the diagnostic potential, but also
challenges of 7T abdominal MRI.