title: The utility of contrast media in MRI at 0.02 T. A preliminary report.
abstract: The effect of 0.1 mmol gadolinium-DTPA on ultralow field magnetic resonance (MR) images of intracranial neoplasms was studied on 20 patients. Tumors that characteristically were enhanced markedly on computed tomography (CT) (meningiomas, acoustic neuromas) demonstrated moderate to marked contrast enhancement with inversion recovery sequences and with saturation recovery sequences with a short repetition time. Standard spin-echo sequences failed to show any contrast effect. The enhancement of gliomas and metastases was weak and often absent. Contrast enhancement, when present, was helpful in delineating the tumor from surrounding edema but the differentiation of living from necrotic tumor was not successful because of low signal intensity. The low effect of gadolinium-DTPA at 0.02 T may be due to a relatively higher T2 weighting of available pulse sequences. The relaxing effect of macromolecules may also change the proportional effect of paramagnetic substances in an ultralow magnetic field.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kormano
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Niemi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Paajanen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Määttänen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katevuo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D005910:Glioma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008579:Meningioma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA