Dynamic spin-echo MRI of liver cancer using Gadolinium-DTPA: animal investigation.
An animal model of liver cancer was used to demonstrate that with a fast MRI technique, Gadolinium-DTPA increases tumor-liver contrast. A spin-echo pulse sequence with short repetition (TR) and echo-delay (TE) times (TR 250/TE 15/Excitations 1) has a scan time of 0.6 min, which allows early dynamic postcontrast infusion imaging. This is necessary to capture peak compartmental differences when an extracellular contrast agent such as Gadolinium-DTPA is used. This short TR/short TE pulse sequence also increases T1-dependent tissue contrast over the traditional (inversion recovery or spin echo) T1-weighted pulse sequences. Our studies suggest a significant potential for improved detection of liver metastases with Gadolinium-DTPA-enhanced liver MRI.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000175:diagnosis; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344
D003287:Contrast Media; D004369:Pentetic Acid