Mammographers receivewarnings on lidocaine risks

Publication
Article
Diagnostic ImagingDiagnostic Imaging Vol 31 No 4
Volume 31
Issue 4

The FDA has issued an advisory warning to physicians and patients about potential health risks from topical anesthetic lidocaine used to reduce the discomfort of breast compression during mammography.

The FDA has issued an advisory warning to physicians and patients about potential health risks from topical anesthetic lidocaine used to reduce the discomfort of breast compression during mammography.

Dr. Colleen K. Lambertz and colleagues at St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute in Boise, ID, discussed the potential value of nonprescription lidocaine gel spread before mammography in the September 2008 issue of Radiology (248[3]:765-771). Lambertz reported that lidocaine produced a few minor side effects, but the FDA noted in January that the study was not large enough to evaluate the potential for serious reactions. The deaths of two women who used topical anesthetics prior to laser hair removal led the FDA to issue in early 2007 an advisory on potentially lifethreatening side effects of skin products containing numbing ingredients and guidelines for safer use.

Recent Videos
Improving Access to Nuclear Imaging: An Interview with SNMMI President Jean-Luc C. Urbain, MD, PhD
SNMMI: 18F-Piflufolastat PSMA PET/CT Offers High PPV for Local PCa Recurrence Regardless of PSA Level
SNMMI: NIH Researcher Discusses Potential of 18F-Fluciclovine for Multiple Myeloma Detection
SNMMI: What Tau PET Findings May Reveal About Modifiable Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease
Emerging Insights on the Use of FES PET for Women with Lobular Breast Cancer
Can Generative AI Reinvent Radiology Reporting?: An Interview with Samir Abboud, MD
Mammography Study Reveals Over Sixfold Higher Risk of Advanced Cancer Presentation with Symptom-Detected Cancers
Combining Advances in Computed Tomography Angiography with AI to Enhance Preventive Care
Study: MRI-Based AI Enhances Detection of Seminal Vesicle Invasion in Prostate Cancer
What New Research Reveals About the Impact of AI and DBT Screening: An Interview with Manisha Bahl, MD
Related Content
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.