ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To perform a large-scale multicenter post-marketing surveillance study for analyzing diagnostic effectiveness and safety of intravenous (IV) gadoteric acid (Dotarem®) in magnetic resonance (MR) mammography under daily practice conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients underwent high-resolution MR mammography with gadoteric acid in 15 German centers. Radiologists used a standardized questionnaire to report data including patient demographics and medical history, characteristics of MR examination and results in terms of diagnosis and safety for the patient. RESULTS: A total of 1537 patients were examined. In 99.2% of all patients, a diagnosis was established. In 91.6% of all patients, image quality was excellent or good. Histopathological examinations were performed for 232 of 1537 patients (15.1%) with invasive ductal carcinoma being the most frequent diagnosis (109 patients, 47.0%). Based on histopathology as the standard of reference, IV gadoteric acid-enhanced MR mammography confirmed diagnoses of invasive ductal carcinoma in 93.5% of the patients. Adverse drug reactions occurred in 5 of 1537 patients (0.3%) and were classified as serious in one case (tachycardia, dysphagia, urticaria, rash). All patients with adverse drug reactions fully recovered after the examination. CONCLUSION: This noninterventional surveillance study shows IV gadoteric acid to be a safe and effective contrast agent for use in MR mammography.
