title: Improved MR coronary angiography with use of a new rapid clearance blood pool contrast agent in pigs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate in an animal model the potential for clinical use of a new rapid clearance blood pool contrast agent to improve free-breathing and breath-hold magnetic resonance (MR) coronary angiography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Free-breathing and breath-hold MR coronary angiography were performed in a pig model (n = 9) (a) without use of a contrast agent; (b) with P792 (Guerbet Research, Aulnay Sous Bois, France), a monodisperse monogadolinated macromolecular compound that acts as a blood pool contrast agent with rapid clearance properties; and (c) with an extravascular gadolinium-based contrast agent. This resulted in six imaging options, which were compared in terms of contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), signal-to-noise ratio, and vessel length measurements by using the Student t test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Use of P792 improved CNR and visible vessel length significantly with both MR respiratory motion correction approaches, as compared with nonenhanced MR imaging (P <.05). CNR was improved by 76% (from 5.0 to 8.6) with the free-breathing approach and by 34% (from 6.2 to 8.2) with the breath-hold approach. Visible vessel length was increased by 27% (from 79.7 to 99.2 mm) with the free-breathing approach and by 90% (from 48.2 to 86.5 mm) with the breath-hold approach. The P792-enhanced free-breathing approach allowed more distal visualization of the coronary arteries than did the P792-enhanced breath-hold approach (P <.05). Use of the extravascular contrast agent did not improve image quality significantly when compared with that of nonenhanced MR images.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of P792 improves coronary artery MR imaging in conjunction with free-breathing and breath-hold approaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Rm 62, Post Zone C2-S, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands. m.s.dirksen@lumc.nl
authors.forename: Martijn S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Dirksen
authors.forename: Hildo J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lamb
authors.forename: Patrik
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kunz
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Corot
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Roos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008536:Meglumine; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013552:Swine; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; D005682:Gadolinium; C072417:gadoterate meglumine; C435266:contrast agent P792