Ten years of gadolinium retention and deposition: ESMRMB-GREC looks backward and forward

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Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA) are widely used in MRI, with an estimated 59 million doses administered annually.
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Gadolinium deposition in the brain was first reported in 2014, linked to repeated use of linear GBCA in patients.
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Gadolinium ions can be toxic if unchelated, necessitating the use of stable chelating ligands in GBCA formulations.
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Preclinical studies indicate that linear GBCA can lead to significant gadolinium retention in the brain, particularly in the dentate nucleus and globus pallidus.
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Long-lasting gadolinium excretion is faster for macrocyclic GBCA due to their higher thermodynamic stability compared to linear agents.

European Radiology

by Aart J. van der Molen, Carlo C. Quattrocchi, Carlo A. Mallio, Ilona A. Dekkers
October 7, 2023

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