High density barium sulphate as an MRI oral contrast

High density barium sulphate suspension was investigated as an oral contrast on MRI. On 30 consecutive subjects, the stomach (in all cases) and the two first portions of the duodenum (in 21 cases) were filled with the suspension. This oral contrast behaved as a negative contrast, being hypointense on all pulse sequences (spin-echo T1-weighted, spin-echo T2-weighted and STIR). This characteristic is probably due to the low proton density of the suspension (260 +/- 40). Since barium sulphate is inexpensive, harmless and available on all radiologic departments, it is recommendable in MRI studies of the liver and head of the pancreas.