Three-dimensional cardiac cine magnetic resonance imaging with an ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide blood pool agent (NC100150)

The purpose of this study was to assess image quality of three-dimensional (3D) cardiac cine magnetic resonance (MR) imaging before and after administ ration of a T1-shortening ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide blood poo l agent (NC100150), 3D cardiac cine MR imaging was performed in 13 voluntee rs using a radiofrequency-spoiled cardiac-gated 3D cine gradient-echo seque nce with short repetition and echo times, Compared with precontrast images, postcontrast images showed no enhancement in fat and skeletal muscle, mode rate enhancement in myocardium, and significant enhancement in ventricular cavity. After contrast injection, the signal ratio of the ventricular chamb er to the myocardium significantly increased, and dramatic Improvements wer e seen in the quality of the cineangiographic images and the depiction of c ardiac valves. This quantitative study has shown that 3D cardiac cine MR im aging using a blood pool agent provided MR ventriculography and cineangiogr aphy with excellent image quality. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.