title: Dose administration of gadolinium-DTPA in MR imaging of intracranial tumors.
abstract: Eleven patients with intracranial tumors were investigated with MR imaging at different dose levels of gadolinium-DTPA to determine a safe and effective dose for imaging intracranial tumors. The patients were divided into two groups. Baseline spin-echo images were obtained with a repetition time of 800 msec and an echo time of 35 msec, and a total of 0.1 mmol of gadolinium-DTPA/kg (six patients) or 0.2 mmol gadolinium-DTPA/kg (five patients) was injected according to a fractionated incremental dose regime (0.025, 0.025, and 0.05 mmol/kg and 0.05, 0.05, and 0.1 mmol/kg, respectively). Postcontrast MR was performed after each injection. In group 1 the best visualization was achieved after the third injection in four cases. In one glioblastoma and in a pituitary adenoma tumor margins were well defined at lower dose levels. In group 2, with five patients, the total dose of 0.2 mmol of gadolinium-DTPA/kg (0.05, 0.05, and 0.1) significantly improved tumor visualization after the third injection in only one patient with multiple metastases. No short-term side effects were encountered. In a range of parameters measured in both serum and whole blood, slight transient elevation of serum iron levels was the only appreciable change. As a result of our investigation we conclude that 0.1 mmol of gadolinium-DTPA/kg is a safe and suitable dose for brain-tumor imaging. In selected cases of 0.2 mmol/kg may increase the diagnostic yield.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Schering AG, Berlin, West Germany.
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Niendorf
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laniado
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Semmler
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schörner
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Felix
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004285:Dogs; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D005910:Glioma / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000175:diagnosis; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004369:Pentetic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA