Comparison of gadofosveset trisodium and gadobenate dimeglumine during time-resolved thoracic MR angiography at 3T.
OBJECTIVE
Gadofosveset trisodium is a blood-pool contrast agent (BPA) that shows a less pronounced r1 relaxivity advantage over gadobenate dimeglumine at 3T than at 1.5T. However, there are few data on image quality during first-pass imaging of the thoracic vasculature with gadofosveset trisodium at 3 T. Therefore, it was the aim of this study to compare first-pass imaging characteristics of gadofosveset trisodium to gadobenate dimeglumine during time-resolved contrast-enhanced three-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography (CE MRA) at 3 T.


METHODS
Twenty volunteers underwent time-resolved CE MRA on a 3 T magnetic resonance (MR) system with a standard eight-channel phased-array surface coil, receiving either gadofosveset trisodium (blood pool agent [BPA], n = 10) or gadobenate dimeglumine (standard contrast agent, [SCA], n = 10). Image quality was assessed by two independent readers using a Likert scale ranging from 0 = poor quality to 3 = excellent quality, and relative signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios were calculated.


RESULTS
Equally good to excellent first-pass image quality was confirmed for time-resolved CE MRA using BPA and SCA (arteries, 2.8 ± 0.2 and 2.6 ± 0.4; veins, 2.5 ± 0.3 and 2.2 ± 0.4; artifacts, 2.4 ± 0.2 and 2.3 ± 0.1). Signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios showed nonsignificant differences, except for left subclavian artery values. There was an overall nonsignificant superiority in signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios for standard contrast agent in arterial values and BPA regarding venous values.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite a markedly decreased r1/r2 relaxivity ratio, first-pass imaging characteristics of gadofosveset trisodium and gadobenate dimeglumine are equally well suited for first pass time-resolved CE MRA at 3 T.
Frydrychowicz
Alex
A
Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 600 Highland Avenue, CSC E1/322, Madison, WI 53729, USA. afrydrychowicz@uwhealth.org
Russe
Maximilian F
MF
Bock
Jelena
J
Stalder
Aurélien F
AF
Bley
Thorsten A
TA
Harloff
Andreas
A
Markl
Michael
M
D003287:Contrast Media; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013909:Thorax / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*
D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; C109932:gadofosveset trisodium