OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the visibility of hepatomesenteric vascular segments by 3D gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography and to compare the method effectiveness between two different gadolinium doses (single and double doses). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was performed with 36 schistosomiasis patients who were submitted to 3D contrast-enhanced MR angiography. Scans were performed in a high-field equipment (1.5 T), with body coil and power injector for intravenous contrast administration. Contrast double doses (Gd-DTPA 0.2 mmol/kg) and single doses (0.1 mmol/kg) were randomly used respectively in 21 and 15 patients. Studies were interpreted by consensus between two observers who have rated the visualization degree of 25 proximal vascular segments without knowing the dose used. RESULTS: Proximal and calibrous vascular segments have presented higher visualization degree in the greatest part of the sample studied. The celiac trunk, common hepatic artery, splenic artery, proximal and medium third of superior mesenteric artery, portal vein, splenic vein and superior mesenteric vein have presented grade 2 visualization in more than 70% of the sample studied. As regards comparison between different doses, there was no significant difference (p < 0.05) in the visualization degree of several structures evaluated, between double dose and single dose groups, except for an isolate case of evaluation of right hepatic artery (p = 0.008) in which the single dose group has presented a higher frequency of grade 2 visualization with statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The visualization degree of hepatomesenteric vascular segments by 3D gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography is high, especially in the proximal and calibrous segments. The comparison between groups using single and double contrast doses has demonstrated similar results.
Magnetic resonance angiography; Schistosomiasis; Gadolinium
