In 1988, the first contrast agent specifically designed for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), gadopentetate dimeglumine (Magnevist®), became available for clinical use. Since then, a plethora of studies have investigated the potential of MRI contrast agents for diagnostic imaging across the body, including the central nervous system, heart and circulation, breast, lungs, the gastrointestinal, genitourinary, musculoskeletal and lymphatic systems, and even the skin. Today, after 25 years of contrast-enhanced (CE-) MRI in clinical practice, the utility of this diagnostic imaging modality has expanded beyond initial expectations to become an essential tool for disease diagnosis and management worldwide. CE-MRI continues to evolve, with new techniques, advanced technologies, and novel contrast agents bringing exciting opportunities for more sensitive, targeted imaging and improved patient management, along with associated clinical challenges. This review aims to provide an overview on the history of MRI and contrast media development, to highlight certain key advances in the clinical development of CE-MRI, to outline current technical trends and clinical challenges, and to suggest some important future perspectives.FundingBayer HealthCare.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12325-015-0275-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Functional neuroanatomy of writing is relatively unknown compared to that of other linguistic processes. This study aimed at identifying brain regions crucial to the process of writing. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), brain hemodynamic activity was examined during three conditions that differentially engaged visual, linguistic, and/or motor functions: (1) writing names of pictures with the right index finger, (2) naming pictures silently, and (3) visually cued finger tapping. A writing minus naming comparison and a writing minus tapping comparison were performed, and brain regions commonly activated in these two contrasts were detected. Our main finding was that such common activation was observed in the anterior part of the left superior parietal lobule, the posterior part of the middle and superior frontal gyri, and the right cerebellum. The parietal and frontal regions were considered to subserve the process of writing as separated from that of naming and finger movements, which is consistent with the classical notion mainly proposed by studies of selective writing deficits called pure agraphia. The right cerebellar activation, on the other hand, was interpreted as the reflection of the execution of complex finger movements required for writing.

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The computed tomographic (CT) and ultrasonographic (US) appearances of retained surgical sponges are described. In each case, the presence of a sponge was confirmed at repeat operation. CT examinations were performed in nine patients. In six cases, a low-density mass was demonstrated; in two cases, a complex mass with areas of both low and medium density was seen. The remaining case was a high-density mass. After intravenous administration of contrast material, dense and prolonged enhancement of the rim of the mass was noted in five of eight cases. Calcification was found in four cases, and spongiform gas in one. US performed in six patients revealed an echogenic area with strong acoustic shadowing in three cases and a complex mass, a hypoechoic mass, and a cystic mass with irregular internal echoes in one case each. Granuloma caused by a retained surgical sponge should be considered as a cause of an abdominal mass in patients with a history of prior abdominal surgery.

Compared with conventional MRI, MRM affords more specific information for the presurgical diagnosis of symptomatic foraminal stenosis.