MR contrast agent at high-field MRI (3 Tesla).
Tumor-to-brain contrast after gadolinium administration using MP-RAGE and T1-SE scans in patients with primary and secondary brain tumors was significantly higher at 3 T than at 1.5 T. The subjective assessment of cumulative triple-dose 3 Tesla images obtained the best results in the detection of brain metastases compared with other sequences followed by 1.5 T cumulative triple-dose enhanced images. In macroadenomas of the hypophysis, contrast-enhanced 3 T MRI was superior to standard MRI in the diagnosis of cavernous sinus infiltration and in visualization of cranial nerves within the cavernous sinus. Due to higher spatial resolution, contrast-enhanced MR venography at 3 T showed more details in and around tumors than at 1.5 T, additionally enhanced by stronger susceptibility weighting and higher signal-to-noise ratio at 3 T. In summary, administration of gadolinium-based contrast agent produces higher contrast between tumor and normal brain at 3 T than at 1.5 T, helps to detect more cerebral metastases at 3 T versus 1.5 T in single and cumulative triple dose, improves the evaluation of macroadenomas of the hypophysis, and makes MR venography at 3 T clinically attractive with increase in spatial resolution within the same measurement time, thus providing more detailed information.
Trattnig
Siegfried
S
Centre of Excellence "High-Field MR," Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Vienna Medical School, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. siegfried.trattnig@univie.ac.at
Ba-Ssalamah
Ahmed
A
Noebauer-Huhmann
Iris-Melanie
IM
Barth
Markus
M
Wolfsberger
Stefan
S
Pinker
Katja
K
Knosp
Engelbert
E
D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D010690:Phlebography / Q000379:methods; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA