Comparison of inner ear MRI enhancement in patients with Meniere's disease after intravenous injection of gadobutrol, gadoterate meglumine, or gadodiamide

Purpose: To compare the enhancement results of three gadolinium contrast agents in the inner ear of patients with Meniere's disease 4 h after intravenous injection of gadobutrol, gadoterate meglumine, or gadodiamide.

Methods: We enrolled 60 patients with a definitive diagnosis of unilateral Meniere's disease and divided them into three groups of 20 patients; each group received a double dose of gadobutrol, gadoterate meglumine, or gadodiamide. The postcontrast signal intensity of the basal cochlear turn was scored quantitatively, and qualitative visual evaluation of the cochlea, vestibule and semi-circular canals was also performed. The results of both evaluations were compared between the three patient groups.

Results: The cochlear basal turn signal intensity of the gadobutrol group was significantly higher than that of the gadoterate meglumine and gadodiamide groups; however, no significant difference was observed between the gadoterate meglumine and gadodiamide groups. The intensity of visualization of the semi-circular canals was significantly better in the bilateral gadobutrol group than in the gadoterate meglumine and gadodiamide groups; however, there was no significant difference in terms of the intensity of visualization of the semi-circular canals between the gadoterate meglumine and gadodiamide groups. There were no significant differences in the intensity of visualization of the cochlea and vestibule among the three groups.

Conclusions: Compared with gadoterate meglumine and gadodiamide, gadobutrol can provide a higher degree of perilymphatic enhancement and better anatomical details of the semi-circular canals in the ears of patients with Meniere's disease.