Liver. II: Iron oxide-based reticuloendothelial contrast agents for MR imaging. Clinical review.

Iron oxide-based compounds are a new class of MR contrast agents that have a wide range of clinical applications. The biodistribution and subsequent influence on the MR image depends on the particle size. Iron oxides can be used to increase contrast-to-noise ratio, facilitating the visibility of focal liver lesions. Other applications include blood-pool imaging and targeting the reticuloendothelial system and cell surface receptors.