Gadolinium Contrast Agents for MRI vs. MRA
The FDA is evaluating important safety information about gadolinium-containing contrast agents and a disease known as Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis or Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy (NSF/NFD) that occurs in patients with kidney failure. New reports have identified a possible link between NSF/NFD and exposure to gadolinium containing contrast agents used at high doses for a procedure called Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA). During an MRA test, a drug known as a gadolinium-contrast agent is injected into a patient’s vein so blood vessels can be distinguished from other nearby tissues. There are five gadolinium-containing contrast agents FDA-approved for use during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). They are: OptiMARK, Magnevist, ProHance, and MultiHance. However, the FDA has not approved them for the use in MRA. The dose of gadolinium-containing contrast agent given to patients undergoing an MRA test is often higher (up to three times) than the approved dose for MRI.
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