SUPERPARAMAGNETIC IRON-OXIDE PARTICLES (SH-U-555-A) - EVALUATION OF EFFICACY IN 3 DOSES FOR HEPATIC MR-IMAGING

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of SH U 555 A in three doses for mag netic resonance (MR) imaging in the liver and to establish the best po stinjection time point for liver MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pr e- and postcontrast image sets obtained in 169 patients after injectio n of SH U 555 A (randomly, 4, 8, or 16 mu mol of iron per kilogram of body weight). Three blinded readers evaluated the precontrast and 10- and 40-minute postcontrast MR images of 54, 58, and 57 patients, respe ctively. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed in diagnostic confidence between images obtained with a dose of 4 or 1 6 mu mol Fe/kg (P = .011) and in good or excellent improvement, respec tively, in delineation of lesions on 10-minute postcontrast images (P = .001). No apparent differences in the efficacy evaluation were seen between the 10- and 40-minute postcontrast imaging time points. CONCLU SION: There was a dose-dependent postcontrast improvement in evaluated efficacy parameters (diagnostic confidence; visual evaluations) after injection of SH U 555 A. Accumulation phase imaging could begin as ea rly as 10 minutes after administration.