A fast scheme for renal microvascular perfusion functional imaging: Assessed by an imaging quality evaluation model

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a fast scheme of multiparametric perfusion functional imaging (PFI) based on dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (DCEUS) for assessing renal microvascular hemodynamics. Method: The flow process in the DCEUS-based PFI was modified step-by-step to improve its operational efficiency, which was validated through in vivo renal perfusion experiments. A multiparametric model with a comprehensive coefficient of imaging quality (CIQ) was then built on four terms of the average information entropy, contrast, gray, and noise coefficient of PFIs to evaluate the sacrifice of imaging quality during modifications of DCEUS-based PFI. Results: The multiparametric model successfully evaluated modifications of DCEUS-based PFI from multiple perspectives (R² = 0.73, P < 0.01). Compared with the raw scheme in the renal sagittal and coronal planes, the fast PFI scheme significantly improved its operational efficiency by 62.82 ± 1.07% (P < 0.01) and the nine PFIs simultaneously maintained a similar CIQ of 0.26 ± 0.06. Conclusions: The inhomogeneous hemodynamic distributions with a ring-like feature in the renal microvasculature were accurately and efficiently characterized by the fast PFI scheme. The fast PFI scheme can be applied for early diagnosis, follow-up evaluation and monitoring treatment of chronic kidney disease.