ISSN:
1432-1084
Keywords:
Antibody
;
Ferrite
;
Iron oxide
;
Macrophage
;
Magnetic resonance imaging
;
Magnetite
;
Reticuloendothelial system
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Pharmaceutical iron oxide preparations have been used as MRI contrast agents for a variety of purposes. These agents predominantly decrease T2 relaxation times and therefore cause a decrease in signal intensity of tissues that contain the agent. After intravenous adminstration, dextran-coated iron oxides typically accumulate in phagocytic cells in liver and spleen. Clinical trials have shown that iron oxide increases lesion/liver and lesion/spleen contrast, that more lesions can be depicted than on plain MRI or CT, and that the size threshold for lesion detection decreases. Decreased uptake of iron oxides in liver has been observed in hepatitis and cirrhosis, potentially allowing the assessment of organ function. More recently a variety of novel, target-specific monocrydtalline iron oxides compounds have been used for receptor and immunospecific images. Future development of targeted MRI contrast agents is critical for organ- or tissue-specific quantitative and functional MRI.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00425895
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