Effect of magnetic susceptibility contrast medium on myocardial signal intensity with fast gradient-recalled echo and spin-echo MR imaging: initial experience in humans.

PURPOSE

To show the effect of dysprosium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid bis-methylamine injection on the images of normal human myocardium.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

T2-sensitive fast gradient-recalled echo (GRE) (repetition time [TR], 10.8 msec; echo time [TE], 4.2 msec) and spin-echo (SE) (TR, three RR intervals; TE, 60 msec) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with driven equilibrium-preparation pulse was used to produce T2 contrast material enhancement. The contrast agent was injected into 12 healthy subjects at doses of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 mmol/kg.

RESULTS

Driven equilibrium-prepared GRE images showed a transient decrease of myocardial signal intensity at doses of 0.2-0.6 mmol/kg. Postcontrast T2-weighted SE images showed a myocardial signal attenuation (30%-45% decrease) at a dose of 0.4 mmol/kg or higher.

CONCLUSION

Dynamic MR imaging with a magnetic susceptibility contrast medium can be used to monitor the first pass of contrast media through human myocardium with a conventional MR imager and a fast GRE sequence.