Gadolinium Liquid: Side Effects, Lawsuits and Attorneys

Gadolinium

As of April 3, 2007, the Food and Drug Administration has received another 65 cases of Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis/Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy (NSF/NFD).  This confirms suspicions that contrast agents Magnevist, MultiHance, Omniscan, OptiMARK and ProHance containing gadolinium could cause this rare and potentially fatal disease as a side effect.

There are currently five FDA-approved gadolinium-based contrast agents, Magnevist, MultiHance, Omniscan, OptiMARK, and ProHance. These agents are approved for use during an MRI scan, but not for MRA. The FDA is asking health care professionals and patients to report possible cases of NSF/NFD through FDA's MedWatch program.

On May 29, 2006 the Danish Medicines Agency reported severe reactions to the common MRI contrast agent gadolinium.  The agency reported 25 cases between Denmark and Austria of the extremely dangerous condition called Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis, sometimes called Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy.  NSF or NFD is characterized by a number of diverse side effects including:

• Tightening and swelling of the skin, usually in the extremities
• Symmetrical skin lesions, commonly on the ankles and thighs
• Hypertension usually precedes skin lesions
• Reddened patches on the skin
• Calcification of muscle, skin, tendons
• Muscle weakness
• Thickening of the skin around the joints, which restricts movement
• Skin texture changes one not dissimilar to an orange peel
• Bone pain in the hips and ribs
• Yellow plaques near the eyes
• Burning, itching, sharp pains in affected areas

Magnetic resonance imagery is one of the most innovative technological breakthroughs in the history of medicine.  High powered magnets force the water molecules in the body into virtually perfect alignment, giving doctors an incredibly detailed and accurate picture of the inner workings of the body without having to resort to dangerous and even potentially fatal exploratory surgery.  Unfortunately, even MRIs cannot depict every condition with perfect clarity, and so doctors sometimes turn to contrast marker agents, like gadolinium.

Gadolinium is a colorless, non-radioactive, water-like liquid that doctors inject into the veins of some people undergoing MRIs.  Contrast markers bond with damaged or diseased tissues, giving doctors a clearer picture of potential problems.  Unfortunately, gadolinium has recently been linked to a number of serious side effects, including NSF.  One of the problems with diagnosing a condition as complicated as NSF is that it can take anywhere between two weeks and three months for side effects to arise, and when they do they are easily confused with other, less dangerous conditions.

UPDATE May 23, 2007: FDA News Report on Gadolinium: Side Effects

FDA notified healthcare professionals of the Agency's request for the addition of a boxed warning and new warnings about the risk of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) to the full prescribing information for all gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs). The new prescribing information FDA is requesting highlights and describes the risk for NSF following exposure to a GBCA in patients with acute or chronic severe renal insufficiency (glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min/1.73 square meters) and patients with acute renal insufficiency of any severity due to the hepato-renal syndrome or in the peri-operative liver transplantation period. Healthcare professionals should avoid the use of a GBCA in these patients unless the diagnostic information is essential and not available with non-contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

If you or someone you love is the victim of gadolinium-induced NSF or NFD you must consult our dedicated and aggressive defective medical device attorneys immediately. We are currently investigating the alleged causal link between gadolinium and NSF and NFD, and if we discover a connection it may bode well for those suffering from this debilitating and devastating condition. Contact us today.

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