RESUMEN
PURPOSE: To evaluate peer-reviewed research to determine whether modern manganese-based contrast agents offer a safe and effective alternative to gadolinium. METHODS: Searches of 3 academic databases transpired in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Exclusion and inclusion criteria were applied to determine the final article selection. RESULTS: Eighteen articles met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review, comprising 7 categories of manganese-based imaging probes based on chelating molecules and molecular structure. DISCUSSION: Although researchers discussed the effects of the imaging probes on T1 contrast in every selected study, safety information was much sparser. With rare exception, the manganese-based contrast agents met or exceeded marks for imaging efficacy, and when researchers studied safety, most probes offered promising results. The implications of these findings provide future health care researchers an opportunity to compare the proposed probes to each other as well as gadolinium, create consistent protocols for testing manganese-based contrast agents, and thoroughly evaluate their safety. CONCLUSION: Manganese-based contrast agents have the potential to replace gadolinium-based imaging probes in terms of pathology visualization, but researchers have yet to address safety adequately.
