Functional hepatobiliary imaging with gadolinium-EOB-DTPA. A comparison of magnetic resonance imaging and 153gadolinium-EOB-DTPA scintigraphy in rats.
OBJECTIVE
Gadolinium-EOB-DTPA (Gd-EOB-DTPA) is a hepatobiliary magnetic resonance (MR) imaging contrast medium designed to detect focal liver lesions. The objective of this study was to evaluate dynamic Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging as a new method for assessing liver excretory function and to compare it with a scintigraphic method, the gold standard.


METHODS
Changes in scintigraphic liver activity or MR liver signal intensity were intraindividually monitored over time after intravenous injection of 50 mumol Gd/kg of Gd-EOB-DTPA in controls and rats with common bile duct obstruction or L-ethionine-induced fatty liver (n = 6).


RESULTS
A comparison of liver scintigraphy and MR imaging revealed that elimination half-lives of Gd-EOB-DTPA were significantly longer in rats with common bile duct obstruction (scintigraphy: 100 +/- 27 minutes; MR imaging: 59 +/- 18 minutes) or fatty liver (scintigraphy: 94 +/- 30 minutes; MR imaging: 72 +/- 32 minutes) than in controls (scintigraphy: 20 +/- 2 minutes; MR imaging: 18 +/- 3) (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Like liver scintigraphy, functional MR liver imaging using Gd-EOB-DTPA is feasible and can differentiate normal controls from models of biliary and hepatocyte disease.
Schmitz
S A
SA
Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Benjamin Franklin University Hospital Steglitz, Free University of Berlin, Germany.
Mühler
A
A
Wagner
S
S
Wolf
K J
KJ
D000818:Animals; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003137:Common Bile Duct Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003287:Contrast Media; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006207:Half-Life; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D011868:Radioisotopes; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D011868:Radioisotopes; C073590:gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA