MRI Contrast Agent May Cause Nephrogenic Systemi Fibrosis
Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) or Nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy is a rare and serious syndrome that involves fibrosis of skin, joints, eyes, and internal organs. Its cause is associated with exposure to gadolinium (which is frequently used as a contrast substance for MRIs) in patients with severe kidney failure. It does not have a genetic basis. NSF causes thickening or tightening of the skin and connective tissues, which severely limits a patient’s ability to move, and it also causes pain, muscle weakness, scarring of internal organs and difficulty bending joints. It seems that patients’ lives are potentially at risk because of the damage to their organs, and destroyed by their inability to move.
Last year the FDA asked manufacturers to include a new boxed warning with gadolinium contrast informing health care providers that patients with severe kidney insufficiency who receive gadolinium contrast are at risk for developing NSF/NFD. Additionally, the warning states that patients with liver problems are also at risk for developing NSF/NFD if they are experiencing kidney problems.
Legal action is now being taken against the manufacturers of Gadolinium based on the premise that these companies knew that gadolinium is toxic and, if misused, could lead to serious injury. Accordingly, these companies should have properly designed and tested the gadolinium MRI contrast and given more consideration to vulnerabilities of the different types of patients who would be using the contrast, in this case, patients with kidney disease or renal dysfunction.
