TY - JOUR T1 - Utility of high-dose contrast enhancement for detecting recurrent herniated intervertebral disks. JF - American Journal of Neuroradiology JO - Am. J. Neuroradiol. SP - 1291 LP - 1297 VL - 15 IS - 7 AU - C Nguyen AU - H An AU - K C Ho AU - V M Haughton AU - T Hasegawa Y1 - 1994/08/01 UR - http://www.ajnr.org/content/15/7/1291.abstract N2 - PURPOSE To study the utility of high-dose contrast enhancement in the detection of recurrent herniated disk fragments. METHODS Recurrent herniated disks were modeled in nine dogs by placing a fragment of normal autologous disk tissue in the epidural space at laminectomy. MR was performed at 30, 60, and 90 days with 0.3 mmol/kg of gadoteridol and repeated 24 hours later with 0.1 mmol/kg of gadopentetate dimeglumine. Contrast enhancement in the disk and scar tissue was measured and conspicuousness of the disk fragments assessed. RESULTS In 70% of the animals, disk fragments were more conspicuous with the larger dose of contrast medium than with the smaller dose. In 30% of animals the conspicuousness was approximately equal. Contrast between disk fragment and scar decreased with time elapsed since surgery, with time elapsed since contrast-medium injection, and with decreasing dose of contrast medium. CONCLUSION In the experimental model, increased conspicuousness of disk fragments was achieved with the larger dose of contrast medium. A clinical study is needed to confirm that a contrast-medium dose of 0.3 mmol/kg improves detection of recurrent herniated disks over a dose of 0.1 mmol/kg. ER -