MRI Kidney Failure: More Lawsuits Filed

Nashville, TNAnother lawsuit has been filed on behalf of a patient who was injected with a gadolinium-based dye prior to having a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and developed Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF, also known as Nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy, or NFD). Recent reports have linked a risk of NSF/NFD for patients with kidney failure who are administered gadolinium-based contrast agents for their MRI.

According to the suit, the patient, who suffered kidney failure, began showing signs of NSF/NFD one week after his MRI. Those symptoms included thickening of the skin around his elbows and knees, pain his legs, knees, and elbows, and difficulty walking. The lawsuit alleges that Tyco International, Ltd., maker of OptiMARK, knew about the risks of using the dye but still distributed it. The suit further alleges that the defendants did not warn physicians about the risks of NSF/NFD in patients with kidney failure.

Gadolinium is used in MRI scans to differentiate between the body's normal and abnormal tissue. It was approved for use in 1988. After MRIs, the kidneys remove gadolinium from the body. However, when the kidneys do not properly work, the gadolinium is not fully removed, allowing it to stay in the body and potentially cause serious harm.

An article at Tennessean.com relates the story of a woman who has developed NSF/NFD and is now filing a lawsuit against the makers of a gadolinium-based contrast agent. Jeanie Deason's legs and right arm are now "frozen in a bent position." A doctor has recommended therapy to help with Deason's condition; however, the therapy is considered experimental and therefore not covered under Tennessee's insurance plan.

According to the article, Deason may have developed NSF after she underwent an MRI in October. Her symptoms began only a few weeks after the MRI. Deason was born with kidney disease, which was likely a factor in her developing NSF.

Not a lot is known about NSF/NFD, which makes finding a cure or treatment incredibly difficult for people who suffer from it. The rarity of the disease makes it unattractive for drug companies to research. Furthermore, the FDA does not have approved treatments for many rare diseases, but insurance companies often refuse to cover a treatment unless the FDA has approved it.

Currently, a procedure known as extracorporeal photopheresis is thought to offer improvement for patients suffering from NSF/NFD. The treatment has not been FDA-approved for NSF/NFD but it is approved for other diseases. Patients undergoing the treatment have blood removed, exposed to ultraviolet light and then put back in the body. Apparently, treated blood affects the immune system so the body is better able to fight NSF/NFD. A doctor quoted in the Tennessean noted that a patient who was unable to close her hand fully was able to use a pen in three months.

NSF/NFD generally starts out as a skin condition, affecting the legs first and then the arms. The skin begins to thicken and many patients experience burning or itching in the affected areas. As the skin thickens, mobility in the joints lessens until the elbows, knees and other joints are locked in place. Many people who experience NSF/NFD wind up in wheelchairs or become bedridden. NSF/NFD can be fatal because it scars the internal organs to such a degree that they no longer function.