MAGNETIC-RESONANCE ANGIOGRAPHY WITH GADOMER-17 - AN ANIMAL STUDY ORIGINAL INVESTIGATION

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. Our purpose was to investigate a ''blood poo l'' contrast agent for abdominal and thoracic MR angiography by compar ison with standard ionic and nonionic gadolinium-based contrast agents , which redistribute into the extracellular fluid compartment. METHODS . Abdominal and thoracic MR angiography was performed in three adult d ogs using a three-dimensional spoiled gradient echo pulse sequence bef ore and after intravenous administration of one of three gadolinium-ba sed contrast agents (gadopentetate dimeglumine, gadobutrol, and gadome r-17), Each compound was tested at five different doses in all three d ogs. Quantitative analysis of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was performe d in the aorta, inferior vena cava (IVC), liver, spleen, kidney (medul la and cortex), fat, and muscle. RESULTS. Gadomer-17 improved visualiz ation of vascular anatomy at doses of 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mmol/k g with three-fold greater aorta SNR during the arterial phase and more than four-fold greater aorta and IVC SNR during the equilibrium phase , in comparison with gadopentetate dimeglumine and gadobutrol at equal doses. CONCLUSIONS. Gadomer-17 is a promising contrast agent for both arterial phase and equilibrium phase MR angiography.