Magnetic resonance contrast agents for liver imaging.

Intravenous contrast agents are important in the performance of liver magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. These agents differ in their physical properties. These differences can be exploited to optimize imaging protocols based on indications for examination. Institutional protocols should be designed to take advantage of the variety of available contrast agent types. Important contrast agent properties including relaxivity and biodistribution are discussed in this article. Practitioners administering contrast agents for MR imaging should be familiar with potential safety issues and establish rational safety guidelines based on available data. Precautions in at-risk populations are discussed, and sample institutional guidelines are provided.