Gadoxetic Acid in MRI: A Five-Year Experience at a High-Complexity Hospital in Colombia

TL;DR

This study reviews five years of using gadoxetic acid in MRI scans at a Colombian hospital, showing its effectiveness in diagnosing liver and bile duct issues.

Contribution

The study provides real-world evidence of gadoxetic acid's diagnostic utility in a high-complexity hospital in Colombia over five years.

Findings

Gadoxetic acid MRI was used in 75 patients, primarily for assessing focal liver lesions.

Diagnostic changes occurred in 69.3% of cases, with 53.4% of focal liver lesions diagnosed as focal nodular hyperplasia.

The study highlights the clinical value of gadoxetic acid in evaluating bile duct and liver lesions.

Abstract

Objective

The objective of the study was to evaluate the use of the hepatospecific contrast agent, gadoxetic acid, for MRI in patients at a high-complexity hospital in Medellin, Colombia, from 2016 to 2022.

Materials and methods

This was an observational, descriptive, and retrospective cross-sectional study involving patients who had undergone MRI with gadoxetic acid from February 2016 to January 2022. The MRI studies were interpreted by two radiologists specializing in body imaging, each with at least 10 years of experience. The medical records of the identified patients were reviewed. Quantitative variables were presented using either means and standard deviations or medians and interquartile ranges, depending on the distribution of the variables. Qualitative variables were represented through absolute and relative frequencies.

Results

A total of 100 pharmacy records were collected, leading to a final sample of 75 patients aged between three and 91 years. The primary reason for imaging was to assess focal liver lesions in 58 patients (77.3%), with bile duct injury being the second most common indication in 16 patients (21.3%). A diagnostic alteration was noted in 69.3% of cases (52 patients). Among the 58 focal liver lesions analyzed using a hepatospecific agent, 31 cases (53.4%) were diagnosed as focal nodular hyperplasia.

Conclusion

Our study reinforces the clinical value of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI in refining diagnostic assessments, particularly in cases involving bile duct and focal hepatic lesions.