Contrast-enhanced hepatic MRI: comparison of half-dose and standard-dose gadolinium DTPA administration in lesion characterization with T1-weighted gradient echo sequences.
The objective of this article was to compare half-dose (0.05 mm/kg) gadolinium-enhanced dynamic hepatic MR imaging to standard doses (0.10 mm/kg). Eighteen patients for follow-up hepatic MR received 0.05 mm/kg of gadolinium DTPA dynamically with gradient-echo imaging. Imaging parameters were identical to a 0.10-mm/kg study; patients were imaged during multiple phases of contrast enhancement. Two readers assessed for enhancement patterns and characterization. Quantitative signal-to-noise ratios (S/N) were obtained for abdominal viscera and contrast-to-noise ratios (C/N) were obtained on up to three lesions. No significant difference for the arterial dominant phase (P > 0.05) was found. Significant differences were found in all categories during the portal venous phase (except pancreas) and equilibrium phase (except liver). Lesion C/N ratios were not significant at any point (P > 0.05). Sixty-two out of 64 lesions (97%) were identically characterized. Therefore, half-dose dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR may have diagnostic value.
De Corato
D R
DR
Department of Radiology, New York University Medical Center, NY 10017, USA.
Krinsky
G A
GA
Rofsky
N M
NM
Earls
J P
JP
Lebowitz
J
J
Weinreb
J C
JC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008102:Liver Circulation; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA