SUPERPARAMAGNETIC IRON-OXIDE (SPIO) AS AN ORAL CONTRAST AGENT IN GASTROINTESTINAL (GI) MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING (MRI) - COMPARISON WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY (CT)

This study was conducted to compare the sensitivity and specificity of abdominal magnetic resonance imaging using oral superparamagnetic iro n oxide with oral contrast-enhanced computed tomography in the detecti on of GI pathology. Overall sensitivity was calculated to be 83% for O ECT compared to 67% by SPIO MRI. Specificity for OECT was 68% compared to 89% for SPIO MRI, The results from imaging with superparamagnetic iron oxide and imaging with oral contrast-enhanced computed tomography were in agreement in 14 subjects who had normal gastrointestinal trac ts, In the remaining 16 patients, eight pathologic entities were detec ted by both modalities whereas 15 abnormalities were seen by only one modality. Superparamagnetic iron oxide magnetic resonance imaging was helpful in discriminating normal bowel from solid lesions and in detec ting subtle gastrointestinal tract mass effect. In 30 consecutively st udied patients suspected of having GI pathology, OECT was more sensiti ve than SPIO MRI in detecting abdominal pathology, Conversely, SPIO MR I was more specific than OECT.