[Use of contrast agent in high-field MRI (3 T)].
The basic diagnostic efficacy of MR contrast medium in the evaluation of primary brain tumors and its clinical usefulness in the detection of brain metastases with single and cumulative triple-dose was compared using a high-field 3 T MR unit and a 1.5 T MR unit. Additionally, the effect of contrast agent on high-resolution MR venography based on the BOLD effect was evaluated at both field strengths. Tumor-brain contrast after gadodiamide administration, as assessed by means of statistical evaluation of MP-RAGE scans and T1-SE images, was significantly higher at 3 T than at 1.5 T. The subjective assessment of cumulative triple-dose 3 T images obtained the best results in the detection of brain metastases, followed by 1.5 T cumulative triple-dose enhanced images. 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 than at 1.5 T in single and cumulative triple dose, and improves MR venography at 3 T with increase in spatial resolution within the same measurement time, thus providing more detailed information.
Trattnig
S
S
Universitätsklinik für Radiodiagnostik, Allgemeines Krankenhaus Wien, Vienna, Austria. siegfried.trattnig@univie.ac.at
Ba-Ssalamah
A
A
Nöbauer-Huhmann
I M
IM
Barth
M
M
Pinker
K
K
Mlynarik
V
V
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D002550:Cerebral Veins / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000295:instrumentation; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010690:Phlebography / Q000295:instrumentation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical
D003287:Contrast Media; C064925:gadodiamide; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D010100:Oxygen