Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse imaging of the kidney – a pilot study

Purpose: To establish Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) imaging on the human kidneys using the Philips ultrasound system iU 22. The first goal of this study was to define the measuring location with the least variation of ARFI results. The further aim is to establish ARFI Imaging as a non-invasive surrogate marker to evaluate kidney parenchymal stiffness and kidney function. Material and methods: 20 healthy volunteers (age range 21 – 32 years) underwent ultrasound elastography on their kidneys with ARFI. We used the Philips iU 22 ultrasound system with a C5 – 1 MHz curved array probe. On both the right and…