Early MR lymphography with gadofluorine M in rabbits.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To investigate the dose and time dependency of gadofluorine M for lymph node imaging and the detection of lymph node metastases in an animal model and to compare gadofluorine M with Gadomer (both, Schering, Berlin, Germany) for lymph node enhancement.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Enhancement of popliteal and iliac lymph nodes was studied in VX2 tumor-bearing rabbits before injection and at 5-120 minutes and 24 hours after intravenous bolus injection of 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 mmol gadolinium per kilogram of body weight gadofluorine M (six rabbits) or 0.5 mmol/kg Gadomer (eight rabbits). Effects of treatment and time point at enhancement were evaluated with repeated measures analysis of variance. Means were separated with all-pairs comparison with Tukey-Kramer adjustment. After 1.5-T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, lymph nodes were removed, and prepared sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin for microscopic examination.

RESULTS:

MR images in VX2 tumor-bearing rabbits revealed rapid and strong signal intensity increase in the functional lymph node tissue by 15 minutes after intravenous injection of gadofluorine M. Maximum enhancement of 165%-309% was observed 60-90 minutes after injection (enhancement with 0.05 and 0.1 mmol/kg significantly different from that with 0.025 mmol/kg, P < or =.05). Metastatic tissue showed only slight enhancement at early time points, resulting in high-contrast differentiation between functional and metastatic tissue. Intravenous injection of the blood-pool agent Gadomer induced only short and inhomogeneous lymph node enhancement (enhancement significantly lower [P < or =.05] than that with gadofluorine M).

CONCLUSION:

Findings in the study showed that gadofluorine M produces rapid lymph node accumulation. Diagnosis of lymph node metastases was shown with intravenous injection of gadofluorine M with a minimum effective diagnostic dose of 0.025 mmol/kg.

• Authors: Bernd Misselwitz, Johannes Platzek, Hanns-Joachim Weinmann
• Journal: Radiology (Radiology) Vol. 231 Issue 3 Pg. 682-8 (Jun 2004) ISSN: 0033-8419 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15163808 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright RSNA, 2004

Chemical References

• Contrast Media
• Organometallic Compounds
• gadofluorine
• gadomer 17
• Gadolinium

Topics

• Animals
• Contrast Media (administration & dosage)
• Female
• Gadolinium (administration & dosage)
• Groin
• Hindlimb
• Injections, Intravenous
• Lymph Nodes (pathology)
• Lymphatic Metastasis (diagnosis)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Neoplasms, Experimental (diagnosis, pathology)
• Organometallic Compounds (administration & dosage)
• Rabbits