CONTRAST AGENT-ENHANCED MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF TISSUE PERFUSION

摘要

This invention relates to a method of contrast agent-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of perfusion in vasculated tissue within a human or nonhuman animal body in which a bolus comprising a contrast-enhancing amount of a magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent is administered into the vascular system of said body, and said body is subjected to a magnetic resonance imaging procedure whereby signals or images representative of first pass of said contrast agent bolus through tissue of interest are generated, characterised in that (i) said contrast agent is capable of exhibiting simultaneous, determinable T1 and T2* reducing effects under the imaging procedure employed and (ii) a T1-weighted imaging procedure is used (a) to visualise the first pass of said contrast agent bolus through said tissue by virtue of its signal lowering T2* effect and (b) to obtain a T1-weighted contrast agent-enhanced image of said tissue.