![]() ![]() “The lawsuit will increase public awareness, along with all the positive and negative outcomes that brings along,” said Emanuel Kanal, M.D., director of MRI services and professor of radiology and neuroradiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, one of the key speakers on this topic at RSNA. These symptoms are similar to others often reported in patient social media groups. The lawsuit described Gena’s symptoms as burning pain throughout her body, violent shaking, numbness, tingling, weakness, cognitive deficits, kidney damage and trouble breathing. However, the term is not accepted by many in the medical community because of the lack of scientific evidence showing a direct connection with the contrast agents. The suit alleges she contracted what is being called “gadolinium deposition disease.” It is a term often used by patients who claim they now have chronic health problems from their contrast MRI exams. She had several contrast MRI exams and the suit alleges numerous adverse health effects began after these exams. The biggest public relations boost for these patients came in November 2017 when action movie actor Chuck Norris filed a lawsuit against a contrast vendor and the contrast distributor for allegedly poisoning his wife Gena. ![]() There are numerous patient-created groups on social media that discuss MRI gadolinium toxicity issues, which have raise public awareness on the topic of possible connections with previously unknown gadolinium side effects. Boxed warnings are also included for known hypersensitivity relations that can occur, especially in patients with allergic disorders. But, there has been little evidence showing patient safety issues in those with normal renal function. It is known that patients with renal insufficiency cannot filter the gadolinium from their body, so it is included as a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning label on the contrast packaging. “I get a number of phone calls from patients each week who are concerned, so we have the discussion about risk versus benefits.” ![]() “There have been reports from patients with side effects that they attribute to the gadolinium contrast agents, and that is something that has our attention as radiologists,” said Max Wintermark, M.D., professor of radiology and chief of neuroradiology, Stanford Hospital and Clinics. It was clear at RSNA that many radiologists have concern about gadolinium deposition and and possible effects of gadolinium toxicity. This issue was raised in several sessions and with experts ITN spoke with at the 2017 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) meeting last November. This, combined with a small percentage of patients who claim their health was harmed following gadolinium exams, has sparked a big debate in radiology over the safety of these agents. Radiologists and patients began to question the safety of gadolinium a few years ago when a study came out in late 2014 showing the agent is deposited and retained in the brain. One of the biggest concerns in radiology in recent years is the safety of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). ![]()
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