Contrast Agents for MR Angiography

Recent years have seen the rapid development of techniques and applications for contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) and the growing acceptance of the method in clinical routine. In addition to advances in hardware and software design, especially the development in the field of contrast media for CE-MRA has triggered the modality to increasingly become the diagnostic standard of reference for vascular imaging. Despite the majority of MR contrast agents is still lacking the direct approval for CE-MRA, this chapter reviews the properties and characteristics of both currently available agents and those which have been developed recently and are now on their way to the clinical market.