Gadolimium exposure information, including gadolinium lawsuits

Information provided by gladolinium exposure Lawyers at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized a potentially fatal link between gadolinium exposure and the onset of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis / nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NSF/NFD).

Contrast agents with gadolinium are used during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) procedures to help doctors better distinguish between abnormal and normal tissue growths. 

The first side effects of gadolinium were discovered in 1997. Since then, more than 1,000 cases have been diagnosed worldwide.

A recent Yale report stated that 95% of people who suffer from NSF/NSD had undergone an MRI involving a gadolinium-based contrast agent. All known cases of the disease involve patients suffering from severe kidney dysfunction.

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis / Nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NSF/NFD) causes fibrosis of the skin and connective tissues throughout the body. Patients may experience skin hardening, which leads to decreased mobility of the joints.

NSF/NSD can also affect the diaphragm, thigh muscles, lower abdomen and lung vessels. The disease may lead to severely restricted movement, breathing troubles and, in some cases, death. There is currently no consistently effective treatment for nephrogenic systemic fibrosis / nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NSF/NFD).

Side effects of gadolinium exposure

The symptoms of these gadolinium side effects can appear relatively quickly following a single procedure or can take over a year to present. Common symptoms of NSF/NSD include:
• Burning, swelling, itching and hardening of the skin.
• Reddened or darkened patches on the skin.
• Raised yellow spots on the whites of the eyes.
• Inability to properly straighten the arms, hands and legs.
• Muscle weakness.
• Deep hip bone or rib pain.

If you or someone you love has any of these symptoms and has had an MRI, it is possible exposure to gadolinium is the cause and you may have grounds for a gladolinium lawsuit; please contact a gladolinium lawyer at our law firm today for a free consultation.