Efficacy of gadoteridol for contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in children.
OBJECTIVE
This study assesses the efficacy of gadoteridol for contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children.


METHODS
Patients were examined by MRI before and after receiving 0.10 mmol/kg gadoteridol. Blinded and unblinded readers analyzed brain and spine MRI studies from a multicenter clinical trial involving 101 patients at 11 sites. Ninety-two cases (76 brain, 16 spine) were evaluated by unblinded investigators, and 91 cases (76 brain, 15 spine) were evaluated by three neuroradiologists unaffiliated with any investigational site and blinded to clinical information.


RESULTS
Unblinded readers noted enhancement of brain pathology in 70% of cases versus 50% to 67% among blinded readers. Unblinded readers determined that additional diagnostic information was available after contrast in 82% of brain studies (average, 64% for blinded readers) and would have changed patient diagnoses in 48% of these studies (average, 46% for blinded readers). In spine cases, enhancement of pathology was noted in 38% (unblinded) and 33% to 40% (blinded). Additional diagnostic information was available after contrast in 63% of spine studies (unblinded), or an average of 58% (blinded), and patient diagnoses would have changed in 20% (unblinded), or an average of 59% (blinded).


CONCLUSIONS
Gadoteridol is suitable for enhanced MRI detection, localization, and characterization of central nervous system pathology in children.
Ball
W S
WS
Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-2899.
Parker
J R
JR
Davis
P C
PC
Glasier
C M
CM
Morris
M R
MR
D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D013131:Spine / Q000473:pathology
D003287:Contrast Media; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C062402:gadoteridol; D005682:Gadolinium