title: Contrast agent derived determination of the total circulating blood volume using magnetic resonance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Knowledge of the total circulating blood volume (TCBV) is essential for the treatment of a variety of medical conditions and blood disorders. To date, blood volume analysis is rarely carried out due to the disadvantages of available methods. Our aim was to develop a widely available, simple, fast, yet accurate method for the determination of the total circulating blood volume.
  
  
  METHODS
  Magnetic resonance (MR) is a well-established, non-invasive technique. In this article, we present a method that uses MR contrast agents for the determination of the blood volume. The dependence of MR relaxation times on the concentration of MR contrast agents allows the calculation of the volume the contrast agent has been diluted in.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In phantom and in vivo experiments we could demonstrate that TCBV can be determined with high accuracy and precision.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This work introduces a novel method for the determination of the total circulating blood volume using magnetic resonance contrast agents as tracers.
authors.affiliation: Research Center Magnetic-Resonance-Bavaria, Wuerzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pannek
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fidler
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kartäusch
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Jakob
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Hiller
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001810:Blood Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D001811:Blood Volume Determination / Q000379:methods*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA