2. Contrast agents

2.1 Context

MRI entered the clinical arena in 1980 and has become a widely democratized diagnostic technique. In fact, over 75 million examinations are carried out worldwide every year. The advantages of MRI are that it is non-invasive, does not use ionizing radiation, has excellent spatial resolution (millimeters for clinical examinations and micrometers for research), and can be applied to any part of the body. However, in some areas, contrast may not be sufficient. This is why compounds have been developed to overcome this problem.

MRI contrast agents first appeared in 1988 in the form of a gadolinium(III)-DTPA (Diethylenetriamine Pentaacetic Acid) complex. Since then, they have taken on considerable importance, with almost 40% of MRI examinations involving...