Biliary MR Imaging with Gd-EOB-DTPA and Its Clinical Applications1

The hepatocyte-specific contrast agent gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) was developed to improve the detection and characterization of focal liver lesions at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Approximately 50% of the injected dose is taken up into the functional hepatocyte and is excreted via the biliary system. Because of this property, Gd-EOB-DTPA has the potential to be a biliary contrast agent. When combined with T2-weighted MR cholangiography, Gd-EOB-DTPA–enhanced MR imaging can allow morphologic and functional assessment of the biliary system. Gd-EOB-DTPA–enhanced MR cholangiography could be effective in evaluation of biliary anatomy, differentiation of biliary from extrabiliary lesions, diagnosis of cholecystitis, assessment of bile duct obstruction, detection of bile duct injury including leakage and stricture, evaluation of biliary-enteric anastomoses, postprocedure evaluation, differentiation of biloma from other pathologic conditions, and evaluation of sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. However, the clinical applications of this imaging technique have not yet been fully explored, and further investigations are needed to determine the utility of Gd-EOB-DTPA–enhanced MR cholangiography in a clinical setting.