ABDOMINAL MR IMAGING:
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS FOR EVALUATION OF GADOLINIUM ENHANCEMENT
Rafael O.P. de Campos MD Vasco Herédia MD Ersan Altun MD Richard C. Semelka MD
Department of Radiology University of North Carolina Hospitals Chapel Hill
  REVIEW ARTICLE

Gadolinium based contrast agents (GBCAs) are T1-shortening agents that result in marked elevation of signal on T1-weighted (T1W) images. GBCA enhancement is crucial in the detection and characterization of abdominal diseases. It provides at least two additional imaging properties that facilitate diagnosis: the pattern of blood delivery (i.e., capillary enhancement) and the size and/or rapidity of drainage of the interstitial space (i.e., interstitial enhancement) [1,2]. This review describes important aspects for the achievement of high-quality diagnostic GBCA enhanced images and discusses critical issues related to their optimized use... [ ...continue ]

 
 

MR IMAGING

Figure 1: Phases of Enhancement

Figure 2: Early subphases of enhancement

Figure 3: A cirrhotic patient evaluated for possible HCC

    [ Fig.1 ] [ Fig.2 ] [ Fig.3 ]
 

Corresponding author :
Richard C. Semelka, M.D.

Department of Radiology  UNC
Chapel Hill
CB 7510 – 2001 Old Clinic Bldg 
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7510
Phone: (919) 966-9676
Fax: (919) 843-7147
E-mail:
richsem@med.unc.edu

S.I.A.E.C.M.  -  Dipartimento di Radiologia
Società Scientifica Registrata Ministero della Salute, del Lavoro e delle Politiche Sociali ECM n. 5607
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