ABSTRACT
A standardized relationship between concentration of contrast media and normalized signal intensity should be the basis of a diagnostic evaluation of MR-mammography at different sites and with different sequences. In this work we compared the dynamic range of the MR-compatible contrast medium Magnevist at different sequences and machines. For this purpose we made measurements with a phantom, consisting of MR-compatible glass tubes filled with contrast medium of different concentrations. The glass tubes were placed in a water bath. All measurements were made with breast coils. The signal intensity of the glass tubes was normalized to the signal intensity of the native probe (water = 1). These normalized dynamic curves were compared with each other in order to find, for the different machines, the sequence which is nearest to a defined "Standard-Curve". As this task proved not possible for all machines, we measured how the dynamic curves of the different machines related to the "Standard-Curve". For all sequences we made also measurements with a female student to assure the quality of the pictures. Thus the participating radiologists can now compare their dynamic measurements of breast lesions with each other.
