Radiology, Vol 194, 783-787, Copyright © 1995 by Radiological Society of North America
Adrenal gland enhancement at MR imaging with Mn-DPDP
DG Mitchell, EK Outwater, T Matteucci, DL Rubin, JL Chezmar and S Saini
Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA.
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 images
(repetition time, 500 msec; echo time, 12 msec) of 13 consecutive patients
were obtained at 1.5 T at one site, prior to and approximately 30 minutes
after intravenous administration of 5 mumol/kg Mn-DPDP. Images were
analyzed visually and by means of region-of- interest measurements,
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 comparable to mean
enhancement of liver (46%), pancreas (25%), and renal cortex (58%). Adrenal
cortex and medulla could not be distinguished in nonenhanced or enhanced
images. All three adrenal adenomas enhanced by more than 40%, but the
metastases did not enhance. CONCLUSION: Functioning adrenal tissue (glands
and at least some adenomas) are enhanced with Mn-DPDP.
