Effect of warming gadoxetic acid on arterial-phase artifacts in dynamic liver MRI: A prospective single-center study

To investigate whether warming gadoxetic acid affects the frequency and degree of artifacts in the arterial phase of MRI.

This prospective study included patients who underwent gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI (April 2016-November 2017 and June-November 2018) at a single center. Either warmed (37 °C, n = 134) or non-warmed (24 °C, n = 137) gadoxetic acid was intravenously injected at a dose of 0.025 mmol/kg for 5 s. Breath-hold time for each phase was fixed at 20 s. Artifact severity was graded using a four-point scale. Patient background and artifact scores in precontrast, arterial, and portal phases were compared between groups.

Two hundred and seventy-one patients (mean age 64 ± 14 years, 149 male) were included. Patient background including the presence of pleural effusion, ascites, cirrhosis, and pulmonary disease, did not differ significantly between the two groups. The mean artifact score in the arterial phase was significantly lower in the 37 °C group than in the 24 °C group (1.4 ± 0.8 vs. 1.6 ± 0.9, p = 0.017), whereas no significant difference was observed in the precontrast and portal phases. The rate of substantial artifact (score = 3 or 4) in the arterial phase was significantly lower in the 37 °C group than in the 24 °C group (11.2 % vs. 21.1 %, p = 0.031). The number of patients with high artifact scores in the arterial phase compared to those in the precontrast image was also lower in the 37 °C group than in the 24 °C group (21.6 % vs. 36.0 %, p < 0.01).

Warmed gadoxetic acid could reduce artifacts in the arterial phase of dynamic MRI.