Gadolinium (III)-Based Contrast Agents, Gadolinium Deposition in Tissues and the Clinical Significance: A Review

Gadolinium based contrast agents (GBCA) have been used for several decades for MR imaging. These have generally been considered safe. In the past, some of these were found to be associated with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in patients with impaired renal function, that were eventually discarded. More recently, there has been an ongoing debate due to evidence of gadolinium deposition in the brain, bones and other tissues in people with normal renal function. The linear gadolinium-based contrast agents have been particularly found to be associated with this phenomena. The clinical significance of gadolinium deposition is not entirely certain and remains a matter of debate, particularly since macrocyclic are increasingly being preferred over linear regions. Different regulatory agencies are looking into evidence and whether use of gadolinium based contrast agents needs to be restricted for clinical use.

The current article is intended to serve as a review of the literature about GBCAs, review of relevant studies and potential clinical implications regarding use of these agents.

Keywords: Gadolinium deposition, macrocyclic agents, linear agents.