MRI with Contrast May Be Risky for Dialysis Patients

A new, rare skin condition is associated with gadolinium-containing contrast agents.

Nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NFD), a debilitating skin condition that affects patients with renal failure, was first described 10 years ago. A cluster of cases now joins previous data suggesting that gadolinium-containing contrast administered for MRI scanning may pose a risk for the condition.

In a case-control study, 19 patients with confirmed NFD, diagnosed at a single Missouri hospital between 2002 and 2006, were compared with 57 matched controls. All were hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis patients (although two NFD patients with acute renal failure had been dialyzed only briefly). In a univariate analysis, exposure to gadolinium-containing contrast, dependent edema, a history of deep-vein thrombosis, and a history of hypothyroidi…

Reviewing Author

Abigail Zuger, MD