Gadolinium Based Contrast Agents (GBCAs) are substances that are injected into patients during a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) in order to produce clearer radiology images. However, as explained below, unfortunately some patients have experienced gadolinium side effects after these contrast agents were used for MRIs and MRAs.
More fundamentally, there are two types of gadolinium based contrast agents (GBCAs): linear and macrocyclic. Generally, the macrocyclic GBCAs are regarded as “safer” than the linear GBCAs, as the structure of the macrocyclic gadolinium agents makes it more difficult for the gadolinium to break away from its bonding agent. When this happens, there can be gadolinium retention and related harmful medical conditions.
Furthermore, this gadolinium retention situation can lead to various serious medical problems which have been given the general diagnosis label of Gadolinium Deposition Disease (GDD). Essentially, this GDD diagnosis indicates there is some medical condition associated with gadolinium toxicity which is present in the patient. Alternatively, this gadolinium retention situation is sometimes called Gadolinium Storage Condition.
In May 2018 the Radiology medical journal published an experimental study article which examined the difference between linear gadolinium contrast agents and macrocyclic agents with respect to gadolinium retention. The study findings support the contention that following the injection of linear gadolinium based contrast agents there is more gadolinium retention.
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