Gain in signal-to-noise for first-pass contrast-enhanced abdominal MR angiography at 3 Tesla over standard 1.5 Tesla: prediction with a computer model.

Author(s): Merkle EM, Dale BM, Barboriak DP

Affiliation(s): Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3808, Duke North, Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27710, USA. elmar.merkle@duke.edu

Publication date & source: 2007-07, Acad Radiol., 14(7):795-803.

Publication type: Comparative Study; Evaluation Studies

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To estimate the gain in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in first-pass contrast-enhanced (CE) abdominal magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) at 3.0 T compared with 1.5 T. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three protocols were simulated using six contrast agents: gadopentetate dimeglumine (Magnevist, Berlex, Wayne, NJ), gadoteridol (Prohance, Bracco, Princeton, NJ), gadobenate dimeglumine (Multihance, Bracco, Princeton, NJ), gadodiamide (Omniscan, Amersham Health, Princeton, NJ), gadoversetamide (Optimark, Mallinckrodt, St. Louis, MO), and gadofosveset trisodium (MS-325, EPIX Medical, Cambridge, MA). Contrast concentrations were calculated for five abdominal vessels. Based on these data, the gain in SNR during CE abdominal MRA at 3.0 T over 1.5 T was estimated. RESULTS: In these simulations, peak concentrations in all five target vessels were about 5 mM, 10 mM, and 0.7 mM for protocol 1, protocol 2, and protocol 3, respectively. A gain in SNR at 3 T over 1.5 T during CE abdominal MRA of at least 94% in all five target vessels could be achieved by applying protocol 1 or protocol 2, whereas protocol 3 provided a gain in SNR of 70%. CONCLUSIONS: Although five of the contrast agents studied fulfill the expectation of providing approximately twice the SNR at 3.0 T versus 1.5 T during CE abdominal MRA, MS-325 offers a gain in SNR of 70% only.