Radiographic Blood Pool Contrast Agents for Vascular and Tumor Imaging with Projection Radiography and Computed Tomography

An emulsion of Ethiodol and Pluronic was evaluated as a vascular (blood pool) imaging agent with both the GE experimental scanned projection radiography system and conventional computed tomography (CT), 475 mg iodine/kg body weight of emulsion, was injected into 11 rabbits with thigh muscle V2 carcinomas. Both projection radiography scans and CT scans visualized aorta, vena cava, pulmonary, and femoral vessels, and distorted vessels around tumors for 20 min after infusion. This persistent vascular visualization allowed CT scanning at multiple contiguous levels, which could be followed by reformatting in the sagittal and coronal planes. Following diatrizoate in identical iodine/kg doses, vascular visualization persisted for only 1 min after infusion. Blood pool agents are ideal for projection radiography systems and CT reformatting of vascular anatomy.