Gadolinium: What Is It?
Gadolinium is named after Johan Gadolin, the Finnish scientist who discovered this chemical element. Gadolinium is a non-radioactive metal used for several different purposes, such as manufacturing certain parts of microwave ovens and color television screens. One of the most important applications of gadolinium is its medicinal use. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a special form of gadolinium to be used as a contrast agent for MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans. Currently, five gadolinium-based contrast agents are available in the United States:
- Magnevist (gadopentetate dimeglumine)
- MultiHance (gadobenate dimeglumine)
- Omniscan (gadodiamide)
- OptiMark (gadoversetamide)
- ProHance (gadoteridol).
Use of Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents for MRIs
Doctors sometimes use gadolinium-based contrast agents to enhance the results of MRI scans. Gadolinium essentially functions like a dye, accumulating in the anomalous tissues and making them appear very bright on MRI scans. This enhancement allows doctors to better identify abnormal cell clusters, which sometimes prove to be harmful tissue growths and/or tumors that require prompt treatment.
Gadolinium-based contrast agents are administered intravenously prior to the MRI procedure. Gadolinium is then carried throughout the body by the bloodstream, accumulating in abnormal cells in the brain and other parts of the body. Typically, gadolinium remains in the body for a relatively short time as it is rapidly cleared out by the kidneys.
Side Effects of Gadolinium
Like most medical substances, gadolinium-based contrast agents carry a certain risk of complications. Usually, side effects of gadolinium are mild, such as light headache, nausea and localized pain at the injection site. Some patients might also develop low blood pressure and light headedness, which can be effectively treated with intravenous fluids. The possibility of developing an allergic reaction to gadolinium is relatively small, as less than 0.1 percent of people are sensitive to this chemical.
However, in rare cases patients can and do develop a very serious and potentially fatal disease after they have received one or more gadolinium-based contrast agent injections. This debilitating condition is called nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), and it is also known as nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NFD).
NSF / NFD Symptoms and Legal Recourse
Patients suffering from NSF / NFD develop fibrosis (thickened tissue) of the skin and internal organs throughout the body. The thickened tissue in lungs may cause difficulty breathing, and the abnormal tissue growth in the joints may lead to joint stiffness, bone pain, difficulty walking and the inability to extend the arms and legs. In many cases, NSF / NFD patients become dependent on a wheelchair within weeks after the onset of the disease. If the condition progresses and causes severe internal organ damage, the outcome is often fatal.
The FDA issued the first warning of the potentially fatal side effects of gadolinium in 2006, the year 90 cases of NSF / NFD were reported in the United States. The FDA has since requested that manufacturers of gadolinium-based contrast agents take certain steps to warn doctors and patients. In cases where pharmaceutical companies have fallen short of this obligation and have exposed patients to health dangers, they might be liable for negligence and patients might be entitled to compensation. Several gadolinium lawsuits are currently underway, seeking compensation for victims to offset medical expenses, loss of employment and other devastating effects of this gadolinium-caused disease.
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