ADC Maps Texture Analysis for the Evaluation of Kidney Function: A Preliminary Study

Assessment of renal microstructure and function non-invasively, has an important role in monitoring and predicting chronic kidney disease (CKD). The goal of this study is to differentiate healthy and CKD patients using texture analysis. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were generated from diffusion weighted magnetic resonance images (DWI), from which statistical and wavelet-transform based texture parameters were extracted. The results of this preliminary study indicated that chronic kidney disease affects texture parameters. The correlation and the energy of wavelet coefficient in “low-high” energy components in the third wavelet decomposition level were found to be the best textural predictors of kidney dysfunction.