title: Enhancement of liver parenchyma after injection of hepatocyte-specific MRI contrast media: a comparison of gadoxetic acid and gadobenate dimeglumine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare enhancement of liver parenchyma in MR imaging after injection of hepatocyte-specific contrast media.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (n = 295) with known/suspected focal liver lesions randomly received 0.025 mmol gadoxetic acid/kg body weight or 0.05 mmol gadobenate dimeglumine/kg body weight by means of bolus injection. MR imaging was performed before and immediately after injection, and in the delayed phase at approved time points (20 min after injection of gadoxetic acid and 40 min after injection of gadobenate dimeglumine). The relative liver enhancement for the overall population and a cirrhotic subgroup was compared in T1-weighted GRE sequences. An independent radiologist performed signal intensity measurements. Enhancement ratios were compared using confidence intervals (CIs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The relative liver enhancement in the overall population was superior with gadoxetic acid (57.24%) versus gadobenate dimeglumine (32.77%) in the delayed-imaging phase. The enhancement ratio between the contrast media was statistically significant at 1.75 (95% CI: 1.46-2.13). In the delayed phase, the enhancement of cirrhotic liver with gadoxetic acid (57.00%) was comparable to that in the overall population. Enhancement with gadobenate dimeglumine was inferior in cirrhotic liver parenchyma (26.85%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the delayed, hepatocyte-specific phase, liver enhancement after injection of gadoxetic acid was superior to that obtained with gadobenate dimeglumine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Bioimages, SS Annunziata Hospital, G. D'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy. a.filippone@rad.unich.it
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Filippone
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blakeborough
authors.forename: Josy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Breuer
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grazioli
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gschwend
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hammerstingl
authors.forename: Gertraud
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heinz-Peer
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kittner
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laghi
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leen
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lencioni
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lucidarme
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Remplik
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Stefan G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Ruehm
authors.forename: Fritz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.forename: Christoforos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stoupis
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tombach
authors.forename: Pierre-Jean
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Valette
authors.forename: Christoph J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Zech
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huppertz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003287:Contrast Media; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005060:Europe; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007269:Injections, Intra-Arterial; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008536:Meglumine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C073590:gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA; C064572:gadobenic acid; D008536:Meglumine; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA