HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 2373041672v1 237/3/1014    most recent Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Krautmacher, C. Articles by Kuhl, C. K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Krautmacher, C. Articles by Kuhl, C. K.

Brain Tumors: Full- and Half-Dose Contrast-enhanced MR Imaging at 3.0 T Compared with 1.5 T—Initial Experience¹

¹ From the Department of Radiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany. Received September 29, 2004; revision requested December 2; revision received December 30; accepted January 25, 2005. Address correspondence to C.K. (Carsten.Krautmacher{at}ukb.uni-bonn.de).

PURPOSE: To prospectively and intraindividually compare the effect of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at a higher magnetic field strength (3.0 T) on contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) at different doses of a T1-shortening contrast agent in patients with contrast-enhancing brain lesions, with 1.5-T MR imaging as a reference standard.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained for all patient and volunteer studies. Twelve patients (six women, six men; mean age, 58 years; range, 29–76 years) with 12 enhancing brain lesions (11 patients with primary brain tumors and one with a solitary cerebral metastasis) underwent contrast material–enhanced MR imaging three times, on three separate days: once at 1.5 T with a full dose of 0.10 mmol/kg gadopentetate dimeglumine, once at 3.0 T with a full dose, and once at 3.0 T with half that dose, 0.05 mmol/kg. The same contrast-enhanced T1-weighted spin-echo images (repetition time msec/echo time msec, 500/12; section thickness, 5 mm; matrix, 256 x 205) were obtained at both 3.0 T and 1.5 T after prior optimization of parameters at 3.0 T. The number and conspicuity of enhancing brain lesions were assessed with blinded clinical image reading. Signal-to-noise ratio and CNR were determined with region of interest analysis of enhancing lesions and normal contralateral white matter. For 3.0 T with half the standard dose and with the full dose, CNR of lesions was intraindividually compared with CNR at 1.5 T with the full dose by using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test.

RESULTS: At 3.0 T and full dose, CNR was 2.8-fold higher than that at 1.5 T and full dose (P < .001). At the same time, higher lesion conspicuity at clinical image reading was observed. With only half the standard dose, MR imaging at 3.0 T still yielded higher CNR (1.3-fold higher) than that with full dose at 1.5 T (P < .01).

CONCLUSION: With the same amount of contrast agent, MR imaging at 3.0 T offered a significantly higher CNR of enhancing cerebral lesions, compared with that at 1.5 T; even with the dose reduced by half, CNR was still higher at 3.0 T.

© RSNA, 2005

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. K. Kuhl, F. Traber, and H. H. Schild Whole-Body High-Field-Strength (3.0-T) MR Imaging in Clinical Practice * Part I. Technical Considerations and Clinical Applications Radiology, March 1, 2008; 246(3): 675 - 696. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. J. Michaely, H. Kramer, O. Dietrich, K. Nael, K.-P. Lodemann, M. F. Reiser, and S. O. Schoenberg Intraindividual Comparison of High-Spatial-Resolution Abdominal MR Angiography at 1.5 T and 3.0 T: Initial Experience Radiology, September 1, 2007; 244(3): 907 - 913. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. K. Kuhl, P. Jost, N. Morakkabati, O. Zivanovic, H. H. Schild, and J. Gieseke Contrast-enhanced MR Imaging of the Breast at 3.0 and 1.5 T in the Same Patients: Initial Experience Radiology, June 1, 2006; 239(3): 666 - 676. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]