MultiHance (R): Help or hype?

MultiHance(R) (Gd-BOPTA) couples specific, long lasting enhancement of magn etic resonance signal intensity in the liver parenchyma with the plasma kin etics of agents targeted to the extracellular fluid space. Therefore, this new contrast agent may be used both as an extracellular fluid agent, such a s Magnevist(R) (Gd-DTPA) or ProHance(R) (gadoteridol) or as a liver-specifi c agent, such as Teslascan(R) (mangafodipir) or iron oxides (e.g., Endorem( R)). The clinical studies conducted so far have shown that MultiHance(R) improve s liver cancer detection by magnetic resonance imaging, the characterizatio n of liver lesions, when used in combination with bolus dynamic magnetic re sonance imaging, and the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imagi ng in extra-hepatic organ areas, such as brain and spine and the cardiovasc ular system. This brief article attempts to define the potential utility of this novel a gent in the daily clinical setting, taking into account what is already ava ilable in radiology departments. It summarizes briefly the clinical need fo r a magnetic resonance contrast agent which improves the impact of magnetic resonance imaging for both the detection and characterization of focal liv er lesions and concludes with the affirmation that MultiHance(R) would be a definite help to radiologists working on all aspects of magnetic resonance imaging.