[A comparison between an ionic paramagnetic contrast agent (Gd-DTPA) and a nonionic one (Gd-DTPA-BMA) in functional kidney evaluation with magnetic resonance].
BACKGROUND
The combination of TGE sequences with bolus injection of paramagnetic contrast agents permits to study renal function and perfusion. We studied renal function with both an ionic (Gd-DTPA) and a nonionic paramagnetic contrast agent (Gd-DTPA-BMA) to compare their kinetics in normal kidneys.


METHODS
Twenty MR examinations were performed on 20 subjects with normal renal function. Ten subjects were examined after i.v. injection of Gd-DTPA and the other ten subjects after i.v. injection of Gd-DTPA-BMA. MR examinations were performed on a Philips ACS II unit (1.5 T). Two sequences were acquired in all cases; an SE coronal T1-weighted sequence (TR/TE = 600/19 ms) and a TGE coronal T1-weighted sequence (TR/TE = 12/5 ms, flip angle = 25 degrees) performed after bolus injection of the contrast agent at 0.1 mmol/kg. Signal intensity time curves were obtained in all the cases. The signal intensity of the cortex, corticomedullary junction, medulla and the pyelocaliceal system of each kidney was measured using a region of interest (ROI). Signal intensity curves were analyzed considering some quantitative parameters such as the area under the curve (AUC), the peak (P) and the time to peak (T-P).


RESULTS
In the subjects with normal renal function, four phases were demonstrated after the i.v. injection of either Gd-DTPA or Gd-DTPA-BMA, namely the cortical phase, the cortico-medullary junction phase, the medullary phase and the pyelocaliceal system phase. No statistically significant differences between the two agents were demonstrated in signal intensity time curves and quantitative parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
Gd-DTPA and Gd-DTPA-BMA showed the same efficacy in renal function studies.
Shariat Razavi
I
I
Istituto di Radiologia, Università degli Studi di Trieste.
Piovesana
F
F
Stacul
F
F
Cova
M
M
Artero
M
M
Carraro
M
M
Pozzi Mucelli
R
R
Dalla Palma
L
L
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003287:Contrast Media; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D007677:Kidney Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012016:Reference Values
D003287:Contrast Media; C064925:gadodiamide; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA