Lipiodol, also known as ethiodized oil, is a

poppyseed oil Poppyseed oil (also poppy seed oil and poppy oil) is an edible oil obtained from poppy seeds (specifically seeds of ''Papaver somniferum'', the opium poppy). Poppy seeds yield 45–50% oil. Like poppy seeds, poppyseed oil is highly palatable, h ...

used by

injection Injection or injected may refer to: Science and technology * Injective function, a mathematical function mapping distinct arguments to distinct values * Injection (medicine), insertion of liquid into the body with a syringe * Injection, in broadca ...

as a

radio-opaque Radiodensity (or radiopacity) is opacity to the radio wave and X-ray portion of the electromagnetic spectrum: that is, the relative inability of those kinds of electromagnetic radiation to pass through a particular material. Radiolucency or hypod ...

contrast agent 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 radiop ...

that is used to outline structures in radiological investigations. It is used in

chemoembolization Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a minimally invasive procedure performed in interventional radiology to restrict a tumor's blood supply. Small embolic particles coated with chemotherapeutic drugs are injected selectively through ...

applications as a contrast agent in follow-up imaging. Lipiodol is also used in lymphangiography, the imaging of the

lymphatic system The lymphatic system, or lymphoid system, is an organ system in vertebrates that is part of the immune system, and complementary to the circulatory system. It consists of a large network of lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, lymphatic or lymphoid o ...

. It has an additional use in gastric variceal obliteration as a dilutant that does not affect polymerization of

cyanoacrylate Cyanoacrylates are a family of strong fast-acting adhesives with industrial, medical, and household uses. They are derived from ethyl cyanoacrylate and related esters. The cyanoacrylate group in the monomer rapidly polymerizes in the presence ...

Indications

Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the use of Lipiodol as a therapeutic agent in the management of

unexplained infertility Unexplained infertility is infertility that is idiopathic in the sense that its cause remains unknown even after an infertility work-up, usually including semen analysis in the man and assessment of ovulation and fallopian tubes in the woman.merck ...

, using a procedure called Lipiodol flushing. There have been a small number of studies that suggest that flushing the media through the tubes gives a short-term rise in fecundity in patients with unexplained infertility. A systematic review has suggested a significant increase in fertility, especially in those women who have

endometriosis Endometriosis is a disease of the female reproductive system in which cells similar to those in the endometrium, the layer of tissue that normally covers the inside of the uterus, grow outside the uterus. Most often this is on the ovaries, f ...

when using Lipiodol flushing. Historically Lipiodol was often used as a contrast medium at

hysterosalpingography Hysterosalpingography (HSG), also known as uterosalpingography, is a radiologic procedure to investigate the shape of the uterine cavity and the shape and patency of the Fallopian tubes. It is a special x-ray using dye to look at the womb (uter ...

(HSG: a procedure to determine tubal patency, used in the investigation of subfertility). It became less commonly utilized in the 1960s to 1980s because the more modern water-soluble media give images that are easier to interpret. There is also an important safety issue with Lipiodol in that intravasation (leakage) of the fluid into the venous system has caused complications in the past.

Composition

Ethiodized oil is composed of

iodine Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid at standard conditions that melts to form a deep violet liquid at , and boils to a vi ...

combined with

ethyl ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Glycerides are ...

s of

fatty acid In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, fr ...

s of

, primarily as ethyl monoiodostearate and ethyl diiodostearate. The precise structure is not known.

History

Lipiodol was first synthesized by Marcel Guerbet in the Paris School of Pharmacy in 1901. Historically, Lipiodol was the first iodinated contrast agent (used for

myelography Myelography is a type of radiographic examination that uses a contrast medium to detect pathology of the spinal cord, including the location of a spinal cord injury, cysts, and tumors. Historically the procedure involved the injection of a radioco ...

by two French physicians, Jacques Forestier and Jean Sicard in 1921). Lipiodol or ethiodized oil for interventional procedure, was solely produced and marketed by

Guerbet Guerbet () is a France-based manufacturer of contrast agents used in medical imaging. The company was founded in 1926 by André Guerbet, the son of Marcel Guerbet who in 1901 discovered Lipiodol – the first Iodinated contrast, iodinated X-ray con ...

until Vivere Imaging launched its ethiodized oil in the brand name Vividol in 2022.

References

External links

* {{Portal bar , Medicine Radiocontrast agents