Gadopentetate dimeglumine as a bowel contrast agent: safety and efficacy.

To determine the safety and efficacy of gadopentetate dimeglumine as a bowel contrast agent, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (0.5 T) was performed with a formulation of gadopentetate dimeglumine (1.0 mmol/L of gadopentetate dimeglumine, 15 g/L of mannitol, 6-17 mL/kg) in 133 patients with intraabdominal mass lesions. Mostly short-lived gastrointestinal side effects were noted in 32% of patients. Gadopentetate dimeglumine provided uniform hyperintense marking of the bowel and contrast enhancement in the region of interest in 81% of patients. Among 78 patients with images obtained both before and after administration of contrast material, post-contrast improvement of lesion delineation was found in 62%. Among 55 patients with only postcontrast images, gadopentetate dimeglumine proved useful in 65%. Intravenous injection of scopolamine or glucagon effectively eliminated "ghost" images of the opacified bowel in 105 of 109 cases. The authors conclude that gadopentetate dimeglumine is a safe and effective bowel contrast agent for MR imaging.