Gadodiamide, sold under the brand name Omniscan, is a

gadolinium-based MRI contrast agent MRI contrast agents are contrast agents used to improve the visibility of internal body structures in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The most commonly used compounds for contrast enhancement are gadolinium-based. Such MRI contrast agents shorten ...

(GBCA), used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures to assist in the visualization of blood vessels.

Medical uses

Gadodiamide is a

contrast medium A contrast agent (or contrast medium) is a substance used to increase the contrast of structures or fluids within the body in medical imaging. Contrast agents absorb or alter external electromagnetism or ultrasound, which is different from radio ...

used for cranial and spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and for general MRI of the body after intravenous administration. It provides contrast enhancement and facilitates visualisation of abnormal structures or lesions in various parts of the body including the central nervous system ( CNS). It crosses intact the

blood brain barrier Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the c ...

Adverse effects

It is one of the main GBCA associated with

nephrogenic systemic fibrosis Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis is a rare syndrome that involves fibrosis of skin, joints, eyes, and internal organs. NSF is caused by exposure to gadolinium in gadolinium-based MRI contrast agents (GBCAs) in patients with impaired kidney function ...

(NSF), a toxic reaction occurring in some people with

kidney problems Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...

. No cases have been seen in people with normal kidney function. A 2015 study found

gadolinium Gadolinium is a chemical element with the symbol Gd and atomic number 64. Gadolinium is a silvery-white metal when oxidation is removed. It is only slightly malleable and is a ductile rare-earth element. Gadolinium reacts with atmospheric oxygen ...

deposited in the brain tissue of people who had received gadodiamide. Other studies using

post-mortem An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...

mass spectrometry found most of the deposit remained at least 2 years after an injection and deposit also in individuals with no kidney issues.

In vitro ''In vitro'' (meaning in glass, or ''in the glass'') studies are performed with microorganisms, cells, or biological molecules outside their normal biological context. Colloquially called " test-tube experiments", these studies in biology ...

studies found it to be

neurotoxic Neurotoxicity is a form of toxicity in which a biological, chemical, or physical agent produces an adverse effect on the structure or function of the central and/or peripheral nervous system. It occurs when exposure to a substance – specificall ...

. An Italian task force recommended that breastfeeding mothers precautionally avoid any contrast agent such as gadodiamide that has been associated with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis.

Society and culture

Gadodiamide was suspended along with

gadopentetic acid Gadopentetic acid, sold under the brand name Magnevist, is a gadolinium-based MRI contrast agent. It is usually administered as a salt of a complex of gadolinium with DTPA (''d''iethylene''t''riamine''p''ent''a''cetate) with the chemical formul ...

(Magnevist) by the European Medicines Agency in 2017.

References

External links

* {{Portal bar , Medicine MRI contrast agents Organogadolinium compounds Withdrawn drugs