ADRENAL-GLAND ENHANCEMENT AT MR-IMAGING WITH MN-DPDP

PURPOSE: To determine adrenal gland enhancement with manganese (II) N, N' dipyridoxylethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetate 5,5'bis(phosphate) (DPDP) at magnetic resonance imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After phase III trials, fat-suppressed, motion-compensated, T1-weighted spin-echo ima ges (repetition time, 500 msec; echo time, 12 msec) of 13 consecutive patients were obtained at 1.5 T at one site, prior to and approximatel y 30 minutes after intravenous administration of 5 mu mol/kg Mn-DPDP. Images were analyzed visually and by means of region-of-interest measu rements, normalized to spleen. With data added from three more sites, enhancement of three adrenal adenomas and two metastases was analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-five of 26 adrenal glands were depicted on MR images, and all showed enhancement. Mean adrenal enhancement (38%) was compar able to mean enhancement of liver (46%), pancreas (25%), and renal cor tex (58%). Adrenal cortex and medulla could not be distinguished in no nenhanced or enhanced images. All three adrenal adenomas enhanced by m ore than 40%, but the metastases did not enhance. CONCLUSION: Function ing adrenal tissue (glands and at least some adenomas) are enhanced wi th Mn-DPDP.