MultiHance®:: Help or hype?

MultiHance(R) (Gd-BOPTA) couples specific, long lasting enhancement of magnetic resonance signal intensity in the liver parenchyma with the plasma kinetics of agents targeted to the extracellular fluid space. Therefore, this new contrast agent may be used both as an extracellular fluid agent, such as Magnevist(R) (Gd-DTPA) or ProHance(R) (gadoteridol) or as a liver-specific agent, such as Teslascan(R) (mangafodipir) or iron oxides (e.g., Endorem(R)). The clinical studies conducted so far have shown that MultiHance(R) improves liver cancer detection by magnetic resonance imaging, the characterization of liver lesions, when used in combination with bolus dynamic magnetic resonance imaging, and the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging in extra-hepatic organ areas, such as brain and spine and the cardiovascular system. This brief article attempts to define the potential utility of this novel agent in the daily clinical setting, taking into account what is already available in radiology departments. It summarizes briefly the clinical need for a magnetic resonance contrast agent which improves the impact of magnetic resonance imaging for both the detection and characterization of focal liver lesions and concludes with the affirmation that MultiHance(R) would be a definite help to radiologists working on all aspects of magnetic resonance imaging.