Andrew Wentland

Dr. Wentland is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Public Health. His co-mentors are Scott Reeder, MD, PhD, Professor, Departments of Radiology, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering, &

Medicine and Walid Farhat, MD, Professor and Chief of Pediatric Urology, Department of Urology, School of Medicine and Public Health.

The title of Dr. Wentland’s research is Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Urography: Non-Invasive Evaluation of Per-Kidney Urinary Output. This work will focus on developing improved non-invasive measurement of urine output from individual kidneys. Technetium-99m-MAG3 (^99mTc-MAG3) scintigraphy is commonly performed in pediatric urology to diagnose ureteral obstruction, duplicated collecting systems, and congenital kidney abnormalities, including crossed-fused renal ectopia, dysplastic kidneys, ectopic kidneys, and horseshoe kidney. However, nuclear scintigraphy has a number of limitations. Scintigraphy requires administration of ionizing radiation, which is particularly problematic in pediatric patients. Furthermore, scintigraphy provides poor anatomic detail, with limited ability to assess bifid versus duplicated ureters or the independent function of renal moieties in conditions such as crossed-fused renal ectopia, horseshoe kidney, and duplicated collecting systems. Magnetic resonance urography (MRU) is a promising technique with the potential to overcome limitations of other imaging modalities. MRU provides excellent anatomic detail and yields valuable information for surgical planning even in complicated renal or urinary systems. Furthermore, novel MRU techniques provide information on renal function.

Dr. Wentland’s career goals include development of an independent program of research that will advance the precision of use of MRI to assess the urinary tract. This work has the potential to significantly decreases exposure of pediatric patients to ionizing radiation. His work will test the hypothesis that a quantitative MRU (qMRU) technique can provide measurements of urinary excretion similar to, or more accurate than, measurements obtained with ^99mTc-MAG3 nuclear scintigraphy.

Aim 1 of Dr. Wentland’s research will test the hypothesis that a novel velocity-sensitive MRI technique can accurately measure low flow states. Aim 2 will test the hypothesis that a quantitative MRU technique can detect changes in urinary excretion in a swine model and provide an accurate assessment of urinary excretion compared to ^99mTc-MAG3 nuclear medicine scintigraphy. It is anticipated that this novel quantitative MRU technique will provide both functional evaluation of urinary excretion as well as more accurate anatomic information compared to ^99mTc-MAG3 nuclear scintigraphy. qMRU will more accurately guide surgical management of pediatric patients with renal or urinary tract abnormalities. This technology lays the groundwork for an unprecedented means of assessing urinary excretion across patient populations.