¹⁹F magnetic resonance imaging of the reticuloendothelial system

In this study sequential ¹H and ¹⁹F magnetic resonance imaging methods were used to map the distribution of fluorinated compounds in vivo. An intravenously administered emulsion of perfluorooctylbromide (PFOB), an agent known to localize in the reticuloendothelial system, was detected in the liver and spleen of all studied hamsters and mice using ¹⁹F MRI. Lungs and salivary glands were also affected in some animals. Using a G. E. NMR CSI 2‐T spectroscopy/imaging system, projection ¹⁹F images were obtained in 4 to 8 min. Subsequent mouse studies using a thick‐slice driven equilibrium pulse sequence produced ¹⁹F images with an improved signal‐to‐noise ratio in a shorter acquisition time. With PFOB, ¹⁹F MRI has the capability of detecting macrophages in the reticuloendothelial system and in other sites where macrophages congregate. This is the first report where the reticuloendothelial system was specifically imaged in live animals and where driven equilibrium imaging techniques have been applied to ¹⁹F MRI. © Academic Press, Inc.