Intravenous hepatosplenography. Experiment evaluation of a new contrast material.

A new, lipoid-based experimental contrast material (AG 60-99) was intravenously infused into 29 rhesus monkeys. The injections resulted in dense hepatosplenograms, preserving diagnostic quality for over 24 hours, and enabling routine utilization of tomography. This technique is capable of demonstrating simulated hepatic masses as small as 5 mm in diameter in vivo. Limited histopathologic and toxicity studies showed no serious or lasting toxic manifestations from AG 60-99 and none of the animals died from it. AG 60-99 is felt to be potentially useful in the radiographic detection of early metastic or lymphomatous involvement of the liver and spleen.