The value of gadoterate meglumine as a gastrointestinal contrast agent in MRI

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a gadoterate meglumine formulation as an oral contrast agent, MRI (0.5 T) was performed on 29 patients with abdominal disease before and after administration of contrast material. The patients ingested 16 ml/kg of a gadoterate meglumine solution (10 g/l glucose, 2 mmol/l gadoterate meglumine) over 1 h. Fourteen per cent of patients had mild side effects related to the contrast agent. Significant hyperintense contrast enhancement was achieved for the stomach and duodenum allowing better delineation of gastric and duodenal walls, entire pancreas and spleen on T1- and T2-weighted spin echo sequences. In 5 patients more diagnostic information was available from post-contrast images compared with precontrast images. This study shows that gadoterate meglumine is a safe and well-tolerated contrast agent that improves MRI of the proximal gastrointestinal tract and upper abdomen.Presented at the European Congress of Radiology, Vienna, Austria, 15–20 September 1991Correspondence to: Y. Miaux