title: MR angiography of carotid artery aneurysms in a porcine model at 3 Tesla: comparison of two different macrocyclic gadolinium chelates and of dynamic and conventional techniques.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the differences in image quality of two macrocyclic gadolinium-based contrast agents, gadobutrol and gadoterate meglumine, using time-resolved, contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) in a porcine carotid artery aneurysm model and to compare image quality between dynamic and conventional, single acquisition CE-MRA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bilateral carotid aneurysms were created surgically in this Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approved study. Dynamic CE-MRA studies optimized for high temporal resolution were performed at 3 Tesla. Scans using equivalently dosed (on a per mmol basis) gadobutrol and gadoterate meglumine were compared qualitatively and quantitatively in terms of contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Higher spatial resolution dynamic and conventional CE-MRA were also compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  N = 16 aneurysms were assessed. Qualitative evaluation of dynamic CE-MRA scans demonstrated a preference for gadobutrol over gadoterate meglumine. Significantly higher aneurysm CNR was found with gadobutrol (133 ± 44) versus gadoterate meglumine, the latter at both equivalent and double injection rates (94 ± 35 and 102 ± 38). In a blinded assessment, conventional CE-MRA was preferred qualitatively when compared with dynamic CE-MRA. However, dynamic CE-MRA was generally capable of providing diagnostic image quality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gadobutrol is preferred to gadoterate meglumine for high temporal resolution dynamic CE-MRA, a fact with important clinical implications for low dose CE-MRA protocols in patients at risk for nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. Conventional high resolution CE-MRA provides superior image quality when compared with dynamic CE-MRA.
authors: Department of Radiology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas, USA. oliver.wuesten@radiol.med.uni-giessen.de
authors: Oliver
authors: O
authors: Wuesten
authors: John N
authors: JN
authors: Morelli
authors: Matthew W
authors: MW
authors: Miller
authors: Egemen
authors: E
authors: Tuzun
authors: Mark W
authors: MW
authors: Lenox
authors: Theresa W
authors: TW
authors: Fossum
authors: Miguel
authors: M
authors: Trelles
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Cotes
authors: Gabriele A
authors: GA
authors: Krombach
authors: Val M
authors: VM
authors: Runge
mesh_terms: D000783:Aneurysm / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003287:Contrast Media; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008536:Meglumine; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C090600:gadobutrol; D008536:Meglumine; C072417:gadoterate meglumine