Contrast enhancement for the abdomen and pelvis.

A "quadraphasic" imaging technique is described for imaging malignancies of the abdomen (liver, kidneys and pancreas). With this technique images are acquired during four different phases relative to the administration of contrast agent: pre-contrast (baseline), during the capillary (arterial, pre-sinusoidal) phase, during the portal (sinusoidal) phase, and during the extracellular (delayed) phase. A brief summary of the kinds of malignancy that are best imaged during each of these phases is presented. Finally, comments are presented on the use of gadolinium-based contrast media for imaging tissues of the pelvis.