Ultra-high Field MRI of the Kidney

The current literature on ultra-high field MRI of the kidneys indicates that kidney imaging can clearly benefit from a significant increase in field strength for anatomic, functional, and metabolic studies. However, many advantages are accompanied by numerous technical difficulties, including inhomogeneity of the static (B0) and radiofrequency (RF) fields as well as limitations due to local heating as indicated by the peak local specific absorption rate (SAR). In this chapter, the current literature on ultra-high field MRI of the kidneys, including anatomical imaging, functional imaging, and spectroscopic imaging is reviewed. Furthermore, the challenges of abdominal imaging at ultra-high field are discussed, along with state-of-the-art technical solutions. Throughout this review, renal physiology and the challenges of real-life imaging of patients are considered while the potential applications of ultra-high field MRI of the kidneys in clinical and research settings are highlighted.