title: Comparison of intravascular and extracellular contrast media for absolute quantification of myocardial rest-perfusion using high-resolution MRI.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To use the contrast agent gadofosveset for absolute quantification of myocardial perfusion and compare it with gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA) using a high-resolution generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition (GRAPPA) sequence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten healthy volunteers were examined twice at two different dates with a first-pass perfusion examination at rest using prebolus technique. We used a 1.5 T scanner and a 32 channel heart-array coil with a steady-state free precession (SSFP) true fast imaging with steady state precession (trueFISP) GRAPPA sequence (acceleration-factor 3). Manual delineation of the myocardial contours was performed and absolute quantification was performed after baseline and contamination correction. At the first appointment, 1cc/4cc of the extracellular contrast agent Gd-BOPTA were administered, on the second date, 1cc/4cc of the blood pool contrast agent (CA) gadofosveset. At each date the examination was repeated after a 15-minute time interval.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using gadofosveset perfusion the value (in cc/g/min) at rest was 0.66 ± 0.25 (mean ± standard deviation) for the first, and 0.55 ± 0.24 for the second CA application; for Gd-BOPTA it was 0.62 ± 0.25 and 0.45 ± 0.23. No significant difference was found between the acquired perfusion values. The apparent mean residence time in the myocardium was 23 seconds for gadofosveset and 19.5 seconds for Gd-BOPTA. Neither signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) nor subjectively rated image contrast showed a significant difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The application of gadofosveset for an absolute quantification of myocardial perfusion is possible. Yet the acquired perfusion values show no significant differences to those determined with Gd-BOPTA, maintained the same SNR and comparable perfusion values, and did not picture the expected concentration time-course for an intravasal CA in the first pass.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Röntgendiagnostik der Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. ritter@roentgen.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: Christian O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wilke
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wichmann
authors.forename: Meinrad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.forename: Dietbert
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Köstler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002138:Calibration; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D010477:Perfusion; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D005682:Gadolinium; C109932:gadofosveset trisodium