Safety of Gadoxetate Disodium for Hepatobiliary MRI in Children and Adolescents

Background Despite a proven role in the characterization of liver lesions, use of the gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) gadoxetate disodium at MRI is limited in children due to a lack of comparative safety data. Purpose To evaluate the safety of the GBCA gadoxetate disodium (a linear ionic hepatobiliary contrast agent [HBA]) in children and adolescents, compared with extracellular contrast agents (ECA). Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted in children and adolescents aged 18 years or younger who underwent HBA-enhanced MRI at one of three tertiary hospitals from January 2010 to December 2022. The incidence of GBCA-associated acute adverse events was compared between MRI examinations with a HBA and those with ECA. Severity was categorized according to American College of Radiology guidelines (mild, moderate, or severe).