Dynamic MRI contrast enhancement of renal cortex: a functional assessment of renovascular disease in patients with renal artery stenosis.

Purpose: To evaluate differences in the magnitude and time course of renal cortical contrast uptake in patients with minimal, moderate, and severe renal artery stenosis (RAS) using contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance renography (CE-MRR).

Materials And Methods: CE-MRR was performed on 56 patients with renovascular disease using a three-dimensional volume interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) perfusion sequence. After administration of 2 mL of contrast, nine sequential axial VIBE datasets were acquired: at baseline, 7, 14, 21, 45, 60, 120, 180, and 240 seconds.