NSF / NFD: What Is It?
Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis / nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NSF / NFD) is a disease causing hardening of skin and internal tissues. This disease is usually prominent in the extremities, which is why victims of NSF / NFD often experience joint immobility and the inability to walk. Since NSF / NFD affects not only the skin but also internal tissues, this disease often causes difficulty breathing due to thickening and scarring of lung tissue. Similarly, other vital internal organs might become damaged, which can lead to patient's death.
Due to the fact that NSF / NFD affects the whole body, it can cause a variety of symptoms. However, patients most often experience one or more of the following conditions:
- Hardening of skin and/or an "orange peel" skin appearance
- Itching and/or swelling of skin
- Raised yellow spots in and/or near the eyes
- Muscle weakness
- High blood pressure
- Pain deep in hip bones and/or ribs
Currently, there is no cure for NSF / NFD. While doctors have had some success with kidney transplants, oral steroids, ultraviolet light and physical therapies, these and other treatments can only slow the progression of NSF / NFD, but cannot cure this disease. Scientists are currently studying other treatment options to find a more effective therapy for NSF / NFD.
Causes of NSF / NFD: Gadolinium Exposure
While the exact cause of NSF / NFD is unknown, the onset of this disease has been linked to gadolinium exposure during enhanced MRI/MRA scans. Thus, the vast majority of known NSF / NFD cases have occurred in patients with severe kidney problems who have undergone gadolinium-enhanced MRI/MRA scans. It appears that the kidneys of these patients are unable to effectively filter gadolinium out of the body causing it to remain in the bloodstream for a prolonged time. The extended exposure to gadolinium stimulates abnormal cell activity, which leads to hardening of skin and internal tissues throughout the body.
The FDA issued its first warning about the side effects of gadolinium in 2006 after a Saint Louis hospital reported 33 cases of NSF / NFD. Almost all of these cases were linked to gadolinium exposure. In fact, a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that 32 out of 33 patients who had developed NSF / NFD had been exposed to gadolinium during MRI scans. All of the affected patients suffered from renal insufficiency, which led the CDC to the conclusion that one of the main risk factors for NSF / NFD is kidney disease. In line with these findings, the FDA has issued warnings cautioning doctors not to use gadolinium-enhanced MRI for patients with serious kidney problems unless the benefits of this scan clearly outweigh its risks.
Gadolinium Exposure: Lawsuits
Since NSF / NFD was first linked to gadolinium exposure, many gadolinium victims or their families have initiated lawsuits seeking to hold manufacturers of gadolinium-based products liable for exposing them to this dangerous substance. Gadolinium lawyers are trying to prove that the responsible pharmaceutical companies failed to properly warn patients about the potentially fatal gadolinium side effects. If the manufacturers of gadolinium-based products are found negligent, they might be ordered to compensate victims of NSF / NFD for medical expenses, loss of employment, physical and psychological distress and other related effects of this gadolinium-caused condition.
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