title: MR imaging of the liver. Contrast agents.
abstract: Contrast agents are needed for improvement of lesion detection and lesion characterization on hepatic MR imaging. According to their biodistribution, contrast agents are classified into extracellular, hepatocyte-targeted, macrophage-monocytic phagocytic system(MPPS)-targeted, and blood-pool contrast agents. Dynamic MR imaging of the liver enhanced with extracellular gadolinium chelates improves lesion characterization. Hepatocyte-targeted and MPPS-targeted contrast agents improve lesion detection. Hepatocyte-targeted contrast agents that have an initial extracellular distribution phase and blood-pool contrast agents offer a potential for improvement of both detection and characterization of focal hepatic lesions.
authors.affiliation: Cairo University Hospital, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Mahfouz
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hamm
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D005682:Gadolinium