SEQUENTIAL FAST 3D MRI FOLLOWING ORAL INGESTION OF GD-DOTA- A NEW MEANS TO ASSESS INTESTINAL TRANSIT TIME

Determination of intestinal transit times permits differentiation of various motility disorders of the gut. To date two techniques are in clinical use: conventional radiography following ingestion of radioopaque markers on three consecutive days [ 11 and sequential scintigraphy following ingestion of radionuclides. Conventional radiography in conjunction with ingested markers is inexpensive and easy to perform. It does however expose patients to ionizing radiation limiting the number of possible follow-up examinations. Furthermore, the projectional nature of the radiograph can inhibit accurate localization of the markers in the small or large bowel, thereby causing considerable rror. Compared to conventional radiography, the radionuclide technique is cumbersome. Based on its lon