OBJECTIVETo investigate the perfusion characteristics and compare the volume of normal kidney and serum creatinine (Scr) before and after arterial embolization on 64-slice spiral CT.

METHODSTotally 21 patients with renal tumor were enrolled. Sixty-four slice spiral CT was used for renal perfusion scan before and after patients underwent tumor arterial embolization. Perfusion characteristics, including blood flow, blood volume, and permeability of renal mass parenchyma and renal cortex in normal kidneys were calculated and the volume of normal kidneys was measured. The values of Scr in all patients were recorded. The perfusion characteristics, the volume of normal kidneys and the level of Scr before and after embolization were compared.

RESULTSRenal clear cell carcinoma was pathologically confirmed in all patients. After having supply blood arterial embolization of renal tumor, perfusion characteristics of tumor parenchyma significantly decreased, perfusion characteristics of renal cortex in normal kidney significantly increased, and the volume of normal kidneys was significantly enlarged (P < 0.01); however, the values of Scr in all patients were not significantly different (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe perfusion characteristics and volume of kidney may reflect the effects of renal arterial embolization on renal function. Perfusion imaging with multi-slice spiral CT is potentially useful in the evaluation of renal pathophysiological characteristics.