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Abstract #3184

Evaluation of Gadolinium Concentration in Morphologic Assessment of Brain Tumors: Results of a Multicenter Intraindividual Crossover Comparison of Gadobutrol Versus Gadobenate Dimeglumine (The MERIT Study)

Guenther Schneider1, Josef Vymazal2, Marek Mechl3, Mayank Goyal4, Miroslav Herman5, Cesare Colosimo6, Mieczyslaw Pasowicz7, Robert Yeung8, Barbara Paraniak-Gieszczyk<s

1Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany; 2MRI, Na Homolce Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic; 3Radiology, University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic; 4MRI, Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; 5Radiology, University Hospital, Olomouc, Czech Republic; 6Radiology, Policlinico Agostino Gemelli, Rome, Italy; 7John Paul II Hospital, Krakow, Poland; 8Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; 9NZOZ Slaskie Centrum Diagnostyki Obrazowej, "Helimed", Katowice, Poland; 10Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; 11Neuroradiology, Hospital San Raffaele, Milan, Italy; 12Neuroradiology, Hospital Niguarda Ca' Granda, Milan, Italy; 13Neuroradiology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; 14Hospital de la Santa Cruz y San Pablo, Barcelona, Spain; 15Neurological Clinic, Prague, Czech Republic


In a prospective double blind intraindividual crossover study, 122 adult patients with known or suspected brain tumors were randomized to undergo two identical enhanced MR examinations within 3-14 days using 0.1 mmol/kg doses of gadobenate dimeglumine or higher-concentration gadobutrol (volumes of 0.2 mL/kg and 0.1 mL/kg, respectively). Three blinded neuroradiologists assessed images for qualitative (ie, lesion border delineation, disease extent, internal lesion morphology, lesion contrast enhancement, overall diagnostic preference) and quantitative (ie, contrast-to-noise ratio, lesion-to-background ratio) endpoints. Images acquired after gadobenate dimeglumine demonstrated greater morphologic information and lesion enhancement compared to gadobutrol. Safety findings were comparable for the two agents.