An iodinated lipid emulsion for CT of the liver. Comparison with iohexol in the detection of experimental hepatic metastases.
OBJECTIVE
The iodinated hepatocyte-specific lipid emulsion FP 736-03 for CT of the liver was tested against the conventional water-soluble contrast agent iohexol.


METHODS
A nude rat model of experimental multiple hepatic metastases from a human colonic cancer was used. The animals were examined 3 weeks after intraportal tumor cell injection. Native examination, and iohexol- and FP-736-03-enhanced CT were performed. The detection rate was determined on a lesion-by-lesion basis. Metastatic diameters measured on CT images were compared with corresponding macroscopic serial liver specimens.


RESULTS
In a lesion-by-lesion analysis of 140 metastases, the detection rates for 2 viewers were 16.4% and 30.7% for native examination, 12.9% and 17.9% for iohexol-enhanced CT, and 53.6% and 72.1% for FP-736-03-enhanced CT, respectively. The detection rates tended to increase with lesion diameter.


CONCLUSIONS
The hepatocyte-specific contrast medium FP 736-03 improved the detection rate significantly in comparison with both native and iohexol-enhanced CT.
Bergman
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Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
Sundin
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Magnusson
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D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol; D003287:Contrast Media; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004655:Emulsions; D005217:Fat Emulsions, Intravenous; D007459:Iodized Oil; D007472:Iohexol; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D010743:Phospholipids; D051381:Rats; D011923:Rats, Nude; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media; D004655:Emulsions; D005217:Fat Emulsions, Intravenous; D010743:Phospholipids; C092563:iodized oil, phospholipid, cholesterol emulsion; D007472:Iohexol; D007459:Iodized Oil; D002784:Cholesterol