title: Evaluation of an albumin-binding gadolinium contrast agent in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The first goal of this study is to compare gadofosveset trisodium--a gadolinium agent that reversibly binds to albumin--to an extracellular contrast agent (Gd-DOTA) for the detection of multiple sclerosis lesions. The second goal is to determine the best postinjection time for the detection of contrast-enhanced lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine patients underwent 2 MRI examinations, respectively, after Gd-DOTA (0.1 mmol/kg) and gadofosveset trisodium (0.03 mmol/kg) administration. Axial T1 spin-echo-weighted images were acquired at several time points after injection (4 minutes for Gd-DOTA, and 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 minutes, 1 hour, and 4 hours for gadofosveset trisodium). Images were analyzed by 4 neuroradiologists who marked the contrast-enhanced lesions and, for each marked lesion, chose the acquisition they preferred and segmented the lesion on their preferred acquisition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 4-hour gadofosveset trisodium acquisition was ranked best for the 3 tasks: contrast-enhanced lesions were seen by more readers, they preferred this acquisition, and improvements of the signal enhancement (125%) and of the contrast-to-noise ratio (73%) vs Gd-DOTA at 4 minutes were observed (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gadofosveset trisodium after 4 hours significantly improves the number of detected contrast-enhanced multiple sclerosis lesions as compared to Gd-DOTA after 4 minutes, even though the injected dose of gadolinium was two-thirds lower.
authors.affiliation: Service de Radiologie, Hôpital de Hautepierre, CHU de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France. stephane.kremer@chrustrasbourg.fr
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kremer
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lamy
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Magnus
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oesterle
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jeantroux
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trunet
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Armspach
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dietemann
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Sèze
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C050823:gadolinium 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetate; D005682:Gadolinium; C109932:gadofosveset trisodium