Automatic detection of renal rejection after kidney transplantation

Acute rejection is the most important reason of graft failure after kidney transplantation, and early detection is crucial to survive the kidney function. Dynamic Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE-MRI) is an imaging modality where a contrast agent (such as Gd-DTPA) is introduced into the kidney and rapid and repeated images are taken, which allows both the anatomic and functional information of the kidney to be monitored. Using these images, this paper introduces an accurate method for the segmentation of the kidney from the surrounding structures by introducing a shape model of the kidney into the external energy component of the deformable models. Secondly, registration algorithms are employed to account for the motion of the kidney due to patient breathing and finally, the perfusion curves obtained from the cortex that show the transportation of the contrast agent into the tissue are given for future classification of normal and acute rejection transplants. Applications of the proposed algorithms yield promising results.