Influence of the hepatobiliary contrast agent Mangafodipir Trisodium (Mn-DPDP) on the imaging properties of abdominal organs

To assess the influence of Mangafodipir Trisodium on the imaging properties of abdominal organs when using T-1-weighted gradient-echo (GE) and T-2-weighted turbo spin-echo (TSE) sequences, thirty patients with focal lesions in the liver were examined at a field strength of 1.5 T before and after intravenous administration of Mangafodipir Trisodium (dose: 5 mu mol/kg of body weight). Administration of Mangafodipir Trisodium led to a significant increase in the signal intensity of the liver tissue (p < 0.001), the spleen (p < 0.01), the pancreas (p < 0.001), and the kidneys (p < 0.001) in the T-1-weighted GE sequence, while there was no relevant enhancement in fatty tissue and the musculature. In the T-2-weighted turbo spin-echo sequence, there was no relevant change in the signal following administration of a contrast agent, The contrast-to-noise ratio (C/N) between the lesions and the liver tissue increased significantly in the post-contrast T-1-weighted GE sequence (p < 0.001), while there was no change in the contrast-to-noise ratio in the post-contrast T-2-weighted turbo spin-echo sequence, The contrast-to-noise ratio of the plain T-2-weighted TSE sequence was significantly higher than that in the postcontrast T-1-weighted GE sequence (p < 0.001). Although Mangafodipir Trisodium was primarily developed as a hepatobiliary contrast agent for demonstration and differentiation of Liver lesions, it also affects the signal levels in the pancreas, spleen, and kidneys in the T-1-weighted image. Awareness of this effect on the extrahepatic tissue makes it easier to interpret pathological findings in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdomen. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.