NSF (sometimes called Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy or NFD) was first seen in patients in 1997, and it wasn’t mentioned in medical literature until 2000. NSF leads to excessive formation of connective tissue in the skin and internal organs. It is characterized by high blood pressure, burning, itching, swelling and hardening of the skin. Other symptoms include red or dark patches on the skin; pain deep in the hip bones or ribs and muscle weakness. NSF can progress to the point of causing severe stiffness in joints, and it can lead to death.

There is currently no cure for NSF and no one understands its specific cause. However, the evidence that Gadolinium MRI contrast agents play a role in its development is fast becoming irrefutable. Researchers at Yale University have reported that 95-percent of those with NSF had an MRI that involved a Gadolinium MRI contrast dye two to three months before their symptoms appeared. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital also have found that kidney patients who had undergone MRIs with Gadolinium MRI contrast dyes were 10 times more likely to develop NSF than patient who had not been exposed to such agents.

Gadolinium contrast dyes are used in MRI because they make it far easier for a diagnostician to differentiate between normal and abnormal tissue. While the tests can be done without the Gadolinium based contrast agent, they are nowhere near as effective. The FDA has warned that patients with kidney problems not be given Gadolinium based MRI contrast dyes unless it is absolutely necessary because of their association with NSF. Unfortunately, there are not yet any alternatives to gadolinium based MRI contrast agents.

The CDC study of the St. Louis NSF cases only reinforces the link between NSF and Gadolinium. According to the CDC, in May 2006, nephrologists at the St. Louis hospital reported a cluster of NFS among patients treated in their dialysis units. The CDC conducted an investigation to determine the number of affected patients and identify risk factors for NFS. Of the 19 patients eventually included in the study, only five had no identified gadolinium exposure within 1 year preceding NFS diagnosis. However, of these, four had gadolinium exposure from 16 to 68 months preceding diagnosis. Thirteen patients had multiple gadolinium-containing contrast exposures during the preceding year.

According to the CDC, the study indicated that exposure to Gadolinium-containing contrast agents during MRI studies was linked with the development of NFS. The CDC cautioned that clinicians should be aware of the potential for NFS, and when possible, should avoid use of Gadolinium-containing contrast agents in patients with advanced kidney disease.

January 31st, 2008 by Staff with NewsInferno.com

SOURCE: Gadolinium and NSF › NSF study finds link between Gadolinium used in MRI and debilitating disease

The Scottish gadolinium MRI contrast agent study looked at 1,826 patients who underwent renal replacement therapy at two Glasgow hospitals between January 1, 2000 and July 1, 2006. Of those patients, 421 underwent an MRI that involved the use of a gadolinium based contrast agent. Fourteen were diagnosed with NSF/NFD, and of those, 13 had been exposed to gadolinium during an MRI. The researchers also found that the patients with NSF/NFD had received far higher doses of gadolinium than those patients who were exposed to gadolinium but did not develop the disorder.

The Scottish study was the second published this month that confirmed the link between NSF/NFD and gadolinium based contrast agents. A study conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, which was published in the October issue of the Journal of Arthritis & Rheumatism, found that kidney patients who had undergone MRIs with gadolinium based contrast agents were 10 times more likely to develop NSF/NFD than patient who had not been exposed to such agents.

For several years now, gadolinium based contrast agents have been a prime suspect in the sudden appearance of NSF/NFD. The first case of NSF/NFD was not even reported in 1997, and it wasn’t mentioned in medical literature until 2000. In 2006, Dutch researchers first linked gadolinium contrast agents to the onset of NSF/NFD. That same year, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) warned health care professionals about the link between gadolinium contrast agents and the occurrence of NSF/NFD. Then in 2007, the FDA requested that the manufacturers of gadolinium based contrast agents update their products’ labels to include a black box warning regarding the risk of NSF/NFD in patients with kidney problems. The FDA also started a monitoring program to track the frequency of NSF/NFD related to gadolinium contrast agents.

NSF/NFD, a disease that affects people with pre-existing kidney disease, leads to excessive formation of connective tissue in the skin and internal organs. It is characterized by high blood pressure, burning, itching, swelling and hardening of the skin. Other symptoms include red or dark patches on the skin; pain deep in the hip bones or ribs and muscle weakness. NSF/NFD can progress to the point of causing severe stiffness in joints, and it can lead to death.

In their report, the Scottish researchers noted that the link between NSF/NFD and gadolinium based contrast agents has been accepted by most of the worldwide medical establishment. They suggest that gadolinium contrast agents be avoided altogether or at least in patients with pre-existing kidney problems. And in cases where gadolinium is the only alternative, the lowest possible dose should be used.

October 24th, 2007

SOURCE: Gadolinium and NSF › Gadolinium MRI contrast agents linked to Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis

A recently released study also found that kidney patients with NSF/NSD are far more likely to die than those without the disorder.

NSF/NFD, a disease that affects people with pre-existing kidney disease, leads to excessive formation of connective tissue in the skin and internal organs. It is characterized by high blood pressure, burning, itching, swelling and hardening of the skin. Other symptoms include red or dark patches on the skin; pain deep in the hip bones or ribs and muscle weakness. NSF & NSD can progress to the point of causing severe stiffness in joints, and it can lead to death.

A new study conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital has confirmed suspicions that the onset of NSF/NFD is strongly associated with gadolinium based contrast agents. The study, which was published in the October issue of the Journal of Arthritis & Rheumatism, found that kidney patients who had undergone MRIs with gadolinium based contrast agents were 10 times more likely to develop NSF/NFD than patient who had not been exposed to such agents. The investigators also found that 48% percent of the NSF/NFD patients in the study died only two years after being examined by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital. Among the study participants without NSF/NFD, only 20% died during the same period.

For several years now, gadolinium based contrast agents have been a prime suspect in the sudden appearance of NSF/NFD. The first case of NSF/NFD was not even reported in 1997, and it wasn’t mentioned in medical literature until 2000. In 2006, Dutch researchers first linked gadolinium contrast agents to the onset of NSF/NFD. That same year, the FDA warned health care professionals about the link between gadolinium contrast agents and the occurrence of NSF/NFD. Then in 2007, the FDA requested that that the manufacturers of gadolinium based contrast agents update their products’ labels to include a black box warning regarding the risk of NSF/NFD in patients with kidney problems. The FDA also started a monitoring program to track the frequency of NSF/NFD related to gadolinium contrast agents.

The research done at Massachusetts General Hospital only serves to underscore the danger that gadolinium based contrast agents pose to people with kidney problems. The investigators who conducted this study noted that patients who are scheduled for MRIs that involve the use of gadolinium based contrast agents should always be screened for underlying kidney problems, and those with pre-existing kidney disease should never be exposed to gadolinium.

October 17th, 2007

SOURCE: Gadolinium and NSF › Gadolinium based contrast agents more common and deadly than previously thought

The study, led by Jonathan Kay of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, conducted skin examination of 186 kidney dialysis patients.
They found that 25 had skin changes consistent with NSF.

Within two years, 25 of the 186 patients (24 percent) had died. The death rate for those with NSF was 48 percent, compared to 20 percent for patients without the illness.

The researchers also found that 30 percent of patients exposed to gadolinium developed NSF compared to one percent of those who had not been exposed to the contrast agent.

The findings are published in the October issue of the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.

This is the first study to examine the prevalence of NSF in dialysis patients and the first to quantify the association between NSF and gadolinium exposure. Contrast agents containing gadolinium should only be used with extreme caution in patients with chronic kidney disease, the researchers concluded. If they are exposed to gadolinium, these patients should subsequently receive regular skin examinations.

In an accompanying editorial, experts at Yale University School of Medicine noted that a U.S. federal Public Health Advisory urges caution in the use of MRI scans for kidney disease patients and prompt dialysis for those who’ve had scans involving gadolinium.

October 5th, 2007

SOURCE: Gadolinium and NSF › New kidney disease can be fatal