LAUSR

Background Gadoxetate disodium (Eovist®, Bayer Healthcare, Wayne, NJ) is the preferred MR contrast agent for pediatric hepatobiliary imaging. A known limitation of this contrast agent is transient severe respiratory artifacts during arterial phase imaging, and some adult studies have raised caution against its use for evaluation of arterial enhancing lesions. The reported rate of transient severe breathing motion is 5–22% in adult studies. This study seeks to evaluate the frequency of transient severe respiratory motion secondary to gadoxetate disodium in a pediatric cohort. Materials and methods This is a retrospective, IRB-approved study with informed consent waiver. The radiology information system of a children’s hospital was searched to identify all MRI studies performed with gadoxetate disodium during January 2016–June 2018. Two readers independently evaluated all phases of a dynamic liver protocol for respiratory motion artifact on a 5-point scale (1 none, 2 mild, 3 moderate, 4 severe—still diagnostic, 5 extreme—not diagnostic). Average scores of the 2 readers for each phase were used for analyses. Transient severe respiratory motion was defined as an increase in artifact score of ≥ 1.5 from pre-contrast to arterial phase that returned to < 3 in equilibrium phase of imaging. Results The study cohort consisted of 140 cases (60% female), age range: 1 month–23 years (median 13 years). 102/140 scans were performed non-sedated. Mean respiratory motion score for each phase of scan for the entire cohort were pre-contrast: 2.23, arterial: 2.56, portal venous: 2.39, and equilibrium: 2.31. Transient severe respiratory motion was seen in 8 non-sedated cases and in 0 sedated cases. The rate of transient severe respiratory motion in a non-sedated pediatric cohort was estimated at 7.84% (8/102 cases). Conclusion The rate of transient severe respiratory motion in the non-sedated pediatric population is in the lower end of the range reported in adults. Transient severe respiratory motion is not observed in sedated patients.