Radiology, Vol 208, 353-357, Copyright © 1998 by Radiological Society of North America

ARTICLES

Breath-hold gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography of the major vessels at 1.0 T: dose-response findings and angiographic correlation

MG Lentschig, P Reimer, UL Rausch-Lentschig, T Allkemper, M Oelerich and G Laub
Institute of Clinical Radiology, Westfalian Wilhelms-University, Muenster, Germany.

PURPOSE: To find the appropriate contrast agent dose for gadolinium- enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography by using individual measurement of contrast agent transit times in a randomized study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 34 patients with disease of the aorta or its major branches or both were randomly assigned to receive a dose of 0.1, 0.2, or 0.3 mmol of gadopentetate dimeglumine per kilogram of body weight. Initially, contrast agent transit times were measured with use of a turbo fast-low-angle-shot sequence. Subsequently, a three- dimensional fast imaging with steady-state precession sequence (7.3- msec repetition time, 2.8-msec echo time) was used for breath-hold MR angiography. Gadopentetate dimeglumine was injected with an MR- compatible power injector. Efficacy was evaluated by measurement of vessel enhancement and by clinical correlation of MR angiograms with x- ray angiograms. RESULTS: Evaluation of contrast agent transit time was possible in all patients with the test doses, which provided contrast- enhanced MR angiograms of constant quality. Neither vessel enhancement nor diagnostic information was significantly different across the these study groups. CONCLUSION: The clinical gadolinium dose of 0.1 mmol/kg is sufficient for diagnostic assessment of the aorta and its major branches at contrast-enhanced MR angiography. High-dose studies appear not to be required for these large vessels.

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