1.0-M gadobutrol versus 0.5-M gadoterate for peripheral magnetic resonance angiography: a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial.
OBJECTIVE
To perform a quantitative and qualitative comparison of gadobutrol and gadoterate in three-station contrast enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) of the lower limbs.


METHODS
In this prospective randomized controlled trial, 52 patients with leg ischemia were randomly assigned to one of two groups receiving either gadobutrol (1.0 mmol Gd/mL, 15 mL) or gadoterate (0.5 mmol Gd/mL, 30 mL). Three-station 3D CE-MRAs from the pelvis to the ankles were performed with moving-table technique on a 1.5T MR scanner. Injection time was identical in both groups. Signal-to-noise (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) were calculated for 816 arteries. Contrast quality in 1196 vessel segments was evaluated separately by two blinded readers on a three-point scale.


RESULTS
Mean SNR (61.8 +/- 7.8 for gadobutrol vs. 61.9 +/- 9.1 for gadoterate, P = 0.257), CNR (52.8 +/- 9.1 vs. 52.8 +/- 10.7, P = 0.154), and qualitative ranking (1.41 vs. 1.44, P = 0.21) for all vessels did not differ significantly between the two patient groups. The overall quality was good in 90.4% with gadoterate and 94.2% with gadobutrol (P = 0.462).


CONCLUSIONS
High-concentration gadobutrol allows neither a higher CNR nor any qualitative advantage over the ordinary unspecific Gd agent gadoterate when the same Gd load and injection times are used in multistation CE-MRA of the peripheral arteries.
Szucs-Farkas
Zsolt
Z
Department of Diagnostic, Interventional and Pediatric Radiology, Inselspital University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland. zsolt.szuecs@insel.ch
Froehlich
Johannes M
JM
Ulrich
Martin
M
Wuersten
Hans-Ueli
HU
Guignard
Dominique
D
Wyss
Sandra
S
Braunschweig
Marianne
M
D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D007511:Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011446:Prospective Studies
D003287:Contrast Media; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C090600:gadobutrol; C050823:gadolinium 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetate