NSF's underlying causes remain hard to grasp

The relationship between gadolinium-based contrast media for MR imaging and nephrogenic systemic fibrosis may be more nuanced than previously thought, according to several studies presented at the 2008 European Congress of Radiology.

Investigators at the Pitiè-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris released data from 308 patients with renal insufficiency who underwent MRI at nine sites across France. Although nearly four-fifths of them had received a gadolinium-chelated contrast medium, none developed NSF.

Medical University of Vienna researchers reported on 552 similar cases. Their data validated previous reports on NSF prevalence but did not find a correlation between cumulative dose and agent used.

Researchers at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary in Scotland compared survival statistics from a database of 1824 patients undergoing renal replacement therapy, 14 of whom had NSF. They found the mean and median survival times for patients diagnosed with NSF were not significantly different from those of other patients (p = 0.378).