99mTc-DTPA Renal Dynamic Imaging for Evaluating the Function of Duplex Kidneys in Adult Patients

ABSTRACT

Background: This study aimed to explore technetium-99m-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA) renal dynamicimaging to evaluate duplex kidney function in adult patients.Subjects and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 25 patients with duplex kidneys who underwent 99mTc-DTPA renal dynamic imaging between June 2011 and March 2023 at our hospital. Patients in the duplex kidney group (n = 25)were divided into renogram normal (n = 9) and abnormal (n = 16) groups according to the imaging data. Additionally, normalpatients were selected as the control group (n = 25). After imaging, the region of interest of the kidneys was delineated, andrenography was performed. Renography can provide renal function parameters, including glomerular filtration rate (GFR),Tmax, T1/2, renal clearance, and the GFR ratio of the duplex renal segment (upper renal moiety).Results: Compared with the control group, the serum creatinine level in the duplex kidney group was higher (p = 0.025), GFRwas lower (p = 0.001), and patients with impaired renal function were mainly in the abnormal renography group (p = 0.001). Inthe duplex kidney group, the GFR (p = 0.026) and renal clearance (p = 0.006) of the affected kidneys were lower than those of thecontralateral kidneys, and Tmax (p = 0.025) was higher than that of the contralateral kidneys. There were no differences in renalfunction indicators of duplex renal segments with different GFR ratios. However, when the GFR ratio exceeded 50%, the renalfunction tended to decline.Conclusions: 99mTc-DTPA renal dynamic imaging was found useful to evaluate the total renal function, split renal function,and upper urinary tract patency in patients with duplex kidneys. Patients with abnormal renography results had worse renalfunction, and those with poor renal clearance in the affected renal moiety required surgical treatment. (AU)