Cerebral infarction: effects of dose and magnetization transfer saturation at gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging.
OBJECTIVE
To determine contrast enhancement after cerebral infarction at T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with delayed, gadolinium-enhanced, and magnetization transfer (MT) techniques.


METHODS
Ten patients aged 40-81 years with recent infarctions (< 7 days) were prospectively studied at MR imaging. Gadoteridol (0.1 mmol/kg [standard dose] and an additional 0.2 mmol/kg [high dose]) was administered before imaging with and without MT saturation and after a 15-minute delay. Two neuroradiologists ranked enhancement conspicuity.


RESULTS
interobserver concordance was excellent (kappa = .86). Pairwise comparisons revealed high-dose MT images were ranked highest, followed by high-dose delayed non-MT images (P < .01). Standard-dose MT images and initial high-dose non-MT images were ranked intermediately but were not distinguishable from each other (P > .05). Initial and delayed standard-dose MT images were ranked lowest (P < .01) and were not distinguishable from each other.


CONCLUSIONS
MT saturation and high-dose gadoteridol individually and synergistically improve the depiction of contrast enhancement.
Mathews
V P
VP
Department of Radiology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1088.
King
J C
JC
Elster
A D
AD
Hamilton
C A
CA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage
D003287:Contrast Media; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C062402:gadoteridol; D005682:Gadolinium