Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of abdominal solid organ and major vessel: Comparison of enhancement effect between Gd-EOB-DTPA and Gd-DTPA

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the differences in enhancement of the abdominal solid organ and the major vessel on dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging(DCE-MRI) obtained with gadolinium ethoxybenzyldiethylenetri-amine pentaacetic acid(Gd-EOB-DTPA: EOB) and gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid(Gd-DTPA) in the same patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 13 healthy volunteers underwent repeat assessments of abdominal MR examinations with DCE-MRI using either Gd-DTPA at a dose of 0.1 mmol/kg body weight or EOB at a dose of 0.025 mmol/kg body weight. DCE images were obtained at precontrast injection and in the arterial phase(AP: 25 seconds), portal phase(PP: 70 seconds), and equilibrium phase(EP: 3 minutes). The signal intensities(SIs) of liver at AP, PP, and EP; the SIs of spleen, renal cortex, renal medulla, pancreas, adrenal gland, aorta at AP; and the SIs of portal vein and inferior vena cava(IVC) at PP were defined using region-of-interest measurements, and were used for calculation of signal intensity ratio(SIR).Results: The mean SIRs of liver(0.195 ± 0.140), spleen(1.35 ± 0.353), renal cortex(1.58 ± 0.517), renal medulla(0.548 ± 0.259), pancreas(0.540 ± 0.183), adrenal gland(1.04 ± 0.405), and aorta(2.44 ± 0.648) at AP as well as the mean SIRs of portal vein(1.85 ± 0.477) and IVC(1.16 ± 0.187) at PP in the EOB images were significantly lower than those(0.337 ± 0.200, 1.99 ± 0.443, 2.01 ± 0.474, 0.742 ± 0.336, 0.771 ± 0.227, 1.26 ± 0.442, 3.22 ± 1.20, 2.73 ± 0.429, and 1.68 ± 0.366, respectively) in the Gd-DTPA images(P < 0.05 each). There was no significant difference in mean SIR of liver at PP between EOB(0.529 ± 0.124) and Gd-DTPA(0.564 ± 0.139). Conversely, the mean SIR of liver at EP was significantly higher with EOB(0.576 ± 0.167) than with Gd-DTPA(0.396 ± 0.093)(P < 0.001).Conclusion: Lower arterial vascular and parenchymal enhancement with Gd-EOB, as compared with Gd-DTPA, may require reassessment of its dose, despite the higher late venous phase liver parenchymal enhancement. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.