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MRI Dangers Toxic metal threatens to deposit in the brain
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an imaging technique that is used primarily for medical diagnostics. Parts of the often administered contrast agents can be deposited in the human body, warn physicians. Unnecessary investigations should be avoided at all costs.
For examination in the tube
According to experts, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is today the superior imaging technique in imaging the head, spine, and joints. Many people have been to the tube for examination. In some cases the administration of a contrast agent takes place during the examination. For a long time, MRI was considered a safe alternative to x-rays, because tumors or inflammation can be detected without radiation. Especially for children, it has been recommended in recent years to rely better on ultrasound and MRI instead of X-ray and CT. However, doctors are now warning of certain dangers that are threatened by an MRI examination: When using contrast agents, dangerous components may be deposited in, among other things, the brain.
MRI: Contrast agents can deposit toxic substances in the brain. Picture: digital photographs - fotolia Contrast agents are taboo for some patients
Contrast agents are injected to make organ structures and functions more visible. Healthy kidneys usually release the remedy after a short time. As reported by the German Association of Nuclear Medicine Physicians (BDN), gadolinium is magnetic and therefore particularly suitable as a contrast enhancer - and it is toxic. Therefore, it is chemically bound to a carrier substance for its use. However, it can apparently solve this, as investigations now show. "If gadolinium stays in the body longer in patients with kidney failure, it can deposit in the skin and organs and trigger a severe connective tissue disease, called nephrogenic systemic fibrosis," said Professor Dr. med. Detlef Moka, CEO of BDN. Therefore, contrast agents should no longer be used in patients with severe renal impairment.
Deposits in the brain
Recently, deposits of gadolinium in the brains of patients have also been reported. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently reviewing reports that the metal was found in various brain structures years after the study. "Affected were patients with four or more contrast MRIs," Moka explained. "The risk obviously increases with the number of examinations." The findings are not completely new. A few years ago, Japanese scientists in the journal "Radiology" reported that the repeated use of gadolinium-containing contrast agents in magnetic resonance tomography may leave traces in the brain.
Alternative examination methods
German nuclear physicians are now advised to only use contrast MRI if it can not be avoided at all. "Doctors should handle it more carefully," Moka said. In particular, multiple examinations, which have so far been classified as harmless due to the lack of radiation risk in MRI, should be avoided as far as possible. In addition, the cardiac MRI is initially dispensable according to the BDN. With this study, circulatory disorders can be identified or detect after a heart attack, through which parts of the heart muscle no more blood flows. Furthermore, doctors can check the pumping power of the heart. "For all of these aspects, myocardial scintigraphy provides us with an alternative examination method that is as reliable as it is secure," says Moka. And ultrasound is also an option for checking the pumping function of the heart muscle. According to the experts, such a "heartfelt" is also risk-free.
Gadolinium in drinking water
How often gadolinium is used, among other things, an investigation of the magazine "eco-test" in the penultimate year. The consumer advocates had then demonstrated the MRI contrast agent in drinking water. "After the drugs have done their work, they do not just disappear," the magazine said. It is currently unclear whether deposits of gadolinium lead to damage to health. Therefore, there are currently no restrictions on the use of gadolinium-containing contrast agents, Moka explained. "Until new results are available, however, we physicians are called upon to examine even more conscientiously than before, whether the use of a contrast agent with gadolinium is necessary before each examination," said the physician. (Ad)