Gadoteridol dose dependence in MR imaging of a liver abscess model

A necrotic liver abscess model was studied with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at 1.5 T before and after intravenous administration of gadoteridol at doses of 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 mmol/kg in 24 rabbits. Enhancement characteristics and lesion delineation were assessed with both breath-hold and non-breath-hold imaging techniques. Lesion delineation, as assessed both by signal intensity measurements and evaluations by two image readers blinded to imaging technique, was greatest on high-dose (0.5 mmol/kg) breath-hold images. Lesion rim enhancement was seen consistently only on postcontrast images obtained at a dose of 0.5 mmol/kg and progressed with time after injection of contrast material.     

Efficacy evaluation of gadoteridol for MR angiography of intracranial vascular lesions

A phase III multicenter study was conducted in 89 patients with known intracranial vascular lesions to evaluate an extracellular gadolinium contrast agent, gadoteridol, for intracranial magnetic resonance (MR) angiography. The pre- and postcontrast MR angiograms of 82 patients were evaluated by the unblinded investigators and by two blinded readers (A and B) for visualization of lesions; arterial and venous anatomy; extent, size, and number of lesions; and disease classification. The unblinded readers indicated that lesions were visualized better on postcontrast images in the following categories: venous anatomy, 87 (81%) of 107 lesions; arterial anatomy, 43 lesions (40%); and extent or size of lesions, 38 lesions (36%). In 29 (35%) of 82 patients, the unblinded readers determined that enhanced MR angiography provided more diagnostic information than unenhanced MR angiography. The blinded readers determined that enhanced MR angiography provided more information for visualization of vascular anatomy in more than 60% of cases. The additional information provided with gadoteridol would have changed the diagnosis in nine (8%) of 107 lesions seen by the unblinded readers, 11 (12%) of 90 lesions seen by reader A, and three (3%) of 93 lesions seen by reader B. The results confirm that the use of gadoteridol improves the visualization of intracranial vascular lesions with MR angiography. The authors conclude that development of new postprocessing algorithms will improve the utility of contrast-enhanced MR angiography.     

Use of superparamagnetic contrast media to suppress signal from flowing spins: Preliminary experience

The authors describe their preliminary experience with the use of superparamagnetic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging contrast media for suppression of signal from flowing blood. The goal of this work was to determine if a superparamagnetic contrast agent could successfully eliminate blood signal during cardiac-gated MR imaging, thereby eliminating or reducing flow artifacts associated with the complex and variable hemodynamics within the heart chambers. Imaging and data analysis were performed in 17 dogs subjected to experimental myocardial infarction as part of a parallel project. Six doses (0.2, 1, 2, 3.5, 4, 5, and 10 mg/kg) of AMI-25, an experimental contrast agent, were used in the study. Spin-echo imaging was performed immediately before and every 5 minutes (for an average of 25 minutes) after bolus injection of the contrast agent. Variations in the image signal-to-noise ratio relative to a baseline (before injection of contrast agent) image were assessed as a function of dose and time. Preliminary results suggest that a considerable reduction in blood flow artifacts and, hence, increases in image signal-tonoise ratio can be achieved at doses greater than or equal to 3.5 mg/kg, for approximately 20 minutes after injection. Doses equal to or less than 2 mg/kg and images obtained more than 20 minutes after injection (regardless of dose) did not reliably show hemodynamic artifact suppression.     

Gd-DTPA-cascade-polymer: Potential blood pool contrast agent for MR imaging

Gadolinium-DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid)-cascade-polymer, a potential new blood pool contrast agent for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, was compared with a known blood pool agent, Gd-DTPA-polylysine, in an animal model. The relative signal intensities of liver, renal cortex, pancreas, and trunk muscle were assessed in 12 pigs between 4 seconds and 120 minutes after injection of a 20 μmol/kg dose of each contrast agent, by using a FLASH (fast low-angle shot) sequence. Except for muscle, all tissues showed visible enhancement after injection of either contrast agent. After injection of Gd-DTPA-polymer, enhancement patterns in the liver, renal cortex, and pancreas were similar to those seen after injection of Gd-DTPA-polylysine. No statistically significant differences in enhancement between the two contrast agents were found at any time point. The authors conclude that the contrast kinetics of Gd-DTPA-cascade-polymer are similar to those of Gd-DTPA-polylysine and that this agent may also be used as a blood pool contrast agent for MR imaging.     

Effect on fetal mouse development of exposure to MR imaging and gadopentetate dimeglumine

Pregnant mice were exposed to one of five regimens at 9.5 days of gestation: no treatment (group 1), intraperitoneal injection of normal saline (group 2), intraperitoneal injection of gadopentetate dimeglumine (group 3), intraperitoneal injection of gadopentetate dimeglumine and magnetic resonance (MR) exposure (group 4), and MR exposure alone (group 5). At 18 days of gestation, the mice were sacrifice and fetuses were removed and examined for the following end points: litter size, number alive or dead, fetal weight, extremity morphology, eye and ear development, and appearance of the head. A total of 739 fetuses were analyzed: group 1 (n = 161), group 2 (n = 149), group 3 (n = 142), group 4 (n = 136), and group 5 (n = 151). The only statistically significant difference was a lower mean fetal weight in the saline-injection group compared with the control group. The results show that MR exposure with and without gadopentetate dimeglumine had no adverse effect on the end points analyzed.     

动态增强MRA的临床研究

目的与常规ＭＲＡ比较，并以手术或ＤＳＡ作为金标准，评估动态增强磁共振血管成像（ＤＣＥＭＲＡ）的图像质量和应用价值。方法４０例共１３２条体部血管同时作了常规ＭＲＡ和ＤＣＥＭＲＡ检查，前者以二维时间飞跃法（２ＤＴＯＦ）ＭＲＡ为主，后者以三维（３Ｄ）ＤＣＥＭＲＡ为主，部分病例屏气扫描（２０～３０秒），快速注射ＧｄＤＴＰＡ２０ｍｌ（０．１５～０．２ｍｍｏｌ／ｋｇ），造影剂注射速度和扫描时间依据靶血管的性质、部位、范围而定。结果４０例中３５例发现有血管病变，与手术或其他影像学方法检查结果一致。３０例主动脉弓及弓上分支、腹主动脉、腔静脉及门静脉的显示满意率，２ＤＴＯＦＭＲＡ为４０％，ＤＣＥＭＲＡ为９６％，颈动脉及下肢血管则分别为９０％、７０％。利用配对计数资料χ２检验，前者两种方法有显著性差异（χ２＝１６．６５，Ｐ＜０．００１），后者无显著性差异（精确卡方检验：χ２＝０．５８，Ｐ＞０．０５）。结论ＤＣＥＭＲＡ为新的磁共振血管成像技术，克服了常规ＭＲＡ的许多缺点，尤其对胸腹部血管，两种方法血管显示满意率有极显著性差异。屏气薄层３ＤＤＣＥＭＲＡ技术，几乎达到与ＤＳＡ相仿的结果，其临床应用潜能极大。     

超顺磁性氧化铁增强MRI诊断肝脏局灶性结节增生

目的 评价超顺磁性氧化铁（SPIO）对肝脏局灶性结节增生（FNH）的诊断价值。资料与方法 回顾性分析7例7个肝脏FNH的平扫、动态增强及SPIO增强MRI资料。结果 病灶在T1WI上呈相对低至等信号，T2WI上呈等至相对高信号，6个病灶可见中心瘢痕。动态增强扫描6个病灶以快速慢出方式强化。SPIO增强扫描6个病灶实质部分信号明显降低，5个中心瘢痕显示更清晰。结论 SPIO增强扫描进一步从组织成分方面为FNH诊断提供依据。     

Dy-DTPA derivatives as relaxation agents for very high field MRI: the beneficial effect of slow water exchange on the transverse relaxivities.

Proton longitudinal and transverse relaxivities of Dy(DTPA)(2-) and Dy-DTPA bisamide derivatives (Dy(DTPA-BA): Dy-DTPA bisamide, Dy(DTPA-BEA): Dy-DTPA bisethylamide, Dy(DTPA-BnBA): Dy-DTPA bis-n-butylamide, and Dy(DTPA-BBMA): Dy-DTPA bisbismethylamide) were analyzed between 0.47 T and 18.8 T. Curie longitudinal relaxation was clearly observed at magnetic fields larger than 2.4 T, but the longitudinal relaxivities are limited by the fast rotation of the complexes. Rotational correlation times were separately assessed by deuterium relaxometry of the diamagnetic deuterated lanthanum analogs. Transverse relaxivity, which depends on the square of the magnetic field and on the residence time of the coordinated water molecule (tau(M)), was more than 7.5 times larger at 18.8 T and 310 K for Dy(DTPA-BA) and Dy(DTPA-BEA) as compared to Dy(DTPA)(2-). This difference is mainly related to the slower water exchange of the bisamide complexes, as confirmed by the values of tau(M) measured by oxygen-17 relaxometry. Such Dy-complexes, characterized by relatively long tau(M) values (tauM310 larger than 100 ns but smaller than 1 micros), thus appear to be useful as negative T(2) (or transverse) contrast agents for high-field imaging. This was demonstrated by the spin-echo images of phantoms obtained at 4.7 T on samples containing Dy(DTPA)(2-) and Dy(DTPA-BEA).     

胆脂瘤型中耳炎的高分辨率CT诊断

目的　探讨胆脂瘤型中耳炎的高分辨率CT征象 ,提高对本病诊断的准确性。方法　回顾性研究经手术及病理证实的31例胆脂瘤型中耳炎患者的CT资料。结果　高分辨率CT能清楚地显示起源部位不同和大小不等的中耳胆脂瘤的软组织影填塞征象及其引起的中耳系统细微的骨质破坏征象。手术与CT诊断不同部位胆脂瘤的符合率达 93 .5 %～ 1 0 0 %。结论　高分辨率CT对于胆脂瘤型中耳炎的准确诊断具有很高的价值。