Non-Contrast-Enhanced Renal Venography Using Spatial Labeling With Multiple Inversion Pulses ( SLEEK )

Renal venogram is often used to diagnose renal vein thrombosis or evaluate renal venous system for kidney transplant patients and donors. The existing MRI technique for renal venogram is delayed Gd enhanced MRA. The contrast enhanced technique has its limitations: 1: the arterial contamination; 2: the potential association between the gadolinium-contrast and the nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). Therefore, it is desirable to develop a non-contrast-enhanced (NCE) MR renal venography, especially for those patients with renal malfunction. In this study, we propose a new NCE method to image the renal veins using Spatial LabEling with multiple invErsion pulses ( SLEEK ) preparation.