Three-Dimensional Kidney Shape Analysis: Associations with Anthropometric and Disease Factors

Organ MRI measurements have the potential to enhance our understanding of the precise phenotypic changes underlying many clinical conditions. Using kidney mesh-based shape analysis we were able to detect variation in specific anatomical regions of the kidney, and associate this with anthropometric traits as well as disease states including chronic kidney disease (CKD), type-2 diabetes (T2D), and hypertension. We show that CKD is associated with smaller kidneys. We also show that T2D and hypertension are associated with larger kidneys.