Stefan Haneder1, Simon Konstandin2, John Morelli3, Lothar R. Schad2, Stefan O. Schoenberg1, Henrik J. Michaely1
1Institute of Clinical Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Baden-Wrttemberg, Germany; 2Computer Assisted Clinical Medicine, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Baden-Wrttemberg, Germany; 3Scott and White Memorial Hospital and Clinic Texas A&M University Health Sciences Center, Temple, TX, United States
Two new approaches are introduced and evaluated for the (semi-)quantitative assessment of the renal sodium content with 23Na MR imaging before and after a water load. One approach used the cerebrospinal fluid as internal reference for the cortico-medullary 23Na gradient. The second approach quantified the cortico-medullary 23Na gradient with reduced numbers of slices. Both methods are compared to the gold standard quantification with complete data sets and external references. Both approaches showed non-significant differences compared to the gold standard and seem to be a feasible and faster alternative for potential clinical application.