MRI Contrast Agents Linked to Rare Disease, NSF
Attorney Steven Skikos, a partner in our firm, was appointed by the court to the Executive Committee of the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee for the Gadolinium-based contrast agent litigation, which is coordinated nationally in the United States District Court in Cleveland, Ohio. He is one of five lawyers in the nation on the Executive Committee, which will manage the progress of this mass tort litigation. The Case Management Order names him to the Executive Committee and describes its duties.
What Are Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents?
Gadolinium-based contrast agents enhance the contrast of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) scans, making them easier for radiologists to read. But there is a serious risk to these MRI contrast agents for people with poor kidney function.
Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents Lead to NSF
Studies have linked these MRI contrast agents to a rare and debilitating disease nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in patients with advanced kidney disease.
Sometimes also called nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NFD), this rare disease was first diagnosed in 1987. It was unknown before gadolinium-containing MRI contrast agents came into widespread use.
Symptoms of NSF include:
- Tightening and hardening of the skin on the extremities and trunk
- Joint immobility and the inability to walk
- Sudden onset kidney disease with severe swelling of the extremities
In people with normal kidney function, MRI contrast agents are cleared through the kidneys within hours. In people with compromised kidney function or renal failure, however, gadolinium-based contrast agents can take much longer to pass through the kidneys, resulting in degradation of the product in the body and the body's severe reaction to the exposed gadolinium.
Contact Our Law Firm If You Have NSF
If you or a family member developed NSF after being injected with an MRI contrast agent, please contact an attorney at Skikos, Crawford, Skikos, Joseph & Millican LLP as soon as possible to arrange a free consultation.
We are recognized as leaders in Gadolinium litigation, and will work to see that you obtain the full amount of financial compensation you deserve. From offices in Cleveland and San Francisco, we handle NSF cases against the product manufacturers throughout the nation.
