General Information about Gadolinium
Gadolinium is a chemical element with many uses. It is used in microwave applications and is used by the appliance industry to make color TV tubes. Compact discs and computer memory are also manufactured using this chemical element. Nuclear marine propulsion systems use Gadolinium as a burnable poison that extends the life of cores. In some nuclear reactors, Gadolinium is even used to create emergency shut-down systems. The element is sometimes used in iron and chromium alloys in order to strengthen them. Gadolinium is also used to make synthetic gemstones. Some researchers use Gadolinium for experiments, since the element has magnetic properties that are not easily seen in other elements.
Gadolinium looks like a lustrous white metal in its pure form. It is easily shaped due to its softness. When the element is left in damp air, a crust forms over it because the element is so easily corroded. When pure Gadolinium must be stored, it is usually stored in mineral oil or in an air-tight container to prevent the Gadolinium from reacting with the air.
One reason why you may have heard about Gadolinium recently is because a number of high-profile cases have placed media attention on the element. Gadolinium contrast agents are often used in medical imaging scans such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) scans. When a patient undergoes these scans, Gadolinium contrast agents are usually injected into the patient’s bloodstream. The Gadolinium contrast substances gather in blood vessels and abnormal tissue so that any problems are more visible to doctors.
In healthy patients, Gadolinium toxicity is kept to a minimum because the kidneys flush out the Gadolinium contrast agents quite readily. However, in patients with kidney disease, the Gadolinium contrast agents stay in the body longer, exposing the patient to Gadolinium toxicity and increasing the risk of Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis or Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy (NSF/NFD), a preventable but potentially fatal illness.
What is Gadolinium
Gadolinium is a metallic chemical element. It is considered to be a rare earth metal. The Gadolinium used in medicine and manufacturing has to be extracted and processed from various minerals since Gadolinium in its natural, pure form does not last long as the element corrodes quite easily.
Gadolinium was discovered by Jean de Marignac in 1880. It was many years after that that a French chemist was able to isolate Gadolinium oxides. Gadolinium was ultimately named for Finnish scientist Johan Gadolin. Today, Gadolinium is used to make compact disks, nuclear marine propulsion systems, computer memory, and some appliances. The way most people come into contact with Gadolinium, though, is through Gadolinium contrast agents. In recent years, the FDA has issued warnings about the use of Gadolinium contrast agents in kidney patients and has advised that patients with kidney problems avoid Gadolinium contrast agents and contact with Gadolinium in order to prevent the risks associated with Gadolinium toxicity.
Gadolinium contrast agents are used in medical imaging scans such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) scans. When a patient needs these scans, a Gadolinium contrast agent is usually injected right into the patient’s bloodstream. The Gadolinium is specially treated to cause minimal Gadolinium toxicity. The Gadolinium contrast agent highlights abnormal tissue areas and some blood vessels so that physicians are able to get high-quality images that help in making a diagnosis.
In relatively healthy patients, risk of Gadolinium toxicity may not be very high. Because of the way that Gadolinium is treated, healthy patients are exposed to little Gadolinium toxicity and their kidneys flush out the element quite quickly. Unfortunately, in patients with kidney disease, Gadolinium toxicity is a very real risk because the kidneys cannot flush the Gadolinium out of the body. The longer the Gadolinium contrast agent remains in the body, the higher the risk of Gadolinium toxicity. In some patients with kidney disease, Gadolinium toxicity can cause nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, or NSF, a potentially fatal illness.
How is it used medically
Gadolinium has a number of medical uses. The most common use involves creating an injectable contrasting agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) scans. Magnevist and other Gadolinium complexes and compounds are used to create better images. Patients are injected with the compounds or complexes and the Gadolinium contrast agents in the blood create a contrast which shows up on MRI scans. The compounds used as contrasting agents are made so that organic molecules coat the Gadolinium, which should make the element less toxic when it is injected into a patient.
If you need an MRI, MRA, or other medical imaging scan, a health care professional will usually conduct a first scan of your organs or tissue without using a contrasting agent. This lets the doctor check for any visible abnormalities. Then, you are injected with a gadolinium-based contrast agent. This is done quite simply, with a needle. It is just like getting any other needle at the doctor’s office. The contrasting agent enters your bloodstream, where it flows through your blood. A few minutes after your injection, a health care professional will run another scan on your organs or tissue. The Gadolinium in the contrasting agent will gather in any abnormal tissue, allowing your doctor to pinpoint areas affected by disease. Using imaging technology, your doctor can view the images from your scan on a computer monitor or can print the images.
Gadolinium contrast agents can help medical professionals pinpoint a number of ailments and conditions that cannot easily be detected with X-rays and other methods. Contrasting agents made with Gadolinium compounds and complexes, for example, can help medical practitioners diagnose some tumors, some types of heart disease, heart abnormalities, lesions on the organs, arterial and vascular anomalies and diseases, and biliary system conditions. Unfortunately, while the risk of Gadolinium toxicity as a result of MRA and MRI scans is quite low for most healthy patients, the risks are higher for kidney patients. Patients with kidney disease are at an increased risk of Gadolinium toxicity and even serious problems because their bodies cannot flush out Gadolinium contrast agents quickly enough.
Gadolinium is also used for other medical imaging solutions. Gadolinium is used in the phosphor layer of X-ray, where it increases image quality and allows doctors to make better diagnoses. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and other medical imaging equipment uses Gadolinium as well.
How can it affect you
Like many rare earth elements, Gadolinium is considered toxic. For this reason, researchers and scientists are careful when handling the element in experiments. There is some debate about the toxicity of Gadolinium, since the exact toxicity of the element has not yet been fully understood by researchers. However, if you work in a laboratory or manufacturing element where Gadolinium is used, it is important to avoid inhaling particles or fumes from the Gadolinium. When Gadolinium is being handled, it may produces fumes or particles, and exposure to both can be dangerous.
Uses of Gadolinium in medical imaging has been linked with problems, especially for those who have kidney disease. If you have kidney disease and need medical imaging, you will want to let your physician and any professional administering the imaging that you have kidney disease. Many medical imaging procedures – including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) scans – use Gadolinium contrast agents and if you have renal disease, the Gadolinium used in these procedures may cause complications. Medical professionals can use contrasting agents without Gadolinium if you have kidney disease.
If you have kidney disease, Gadolinium may stay in your body longer, and this can expose you to risks of Gadolinium toxicity. Gadolinium toxicity has been linked to nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, or NSF, a disease that can be fatal. Most patients who contract NSF are patients with pre-existing kidney problems who have been exposed to Gadolinium toxicity by having an MRI or MRA with Gadolinium contrast agents. Patients who get NSF as a result of Gadolinium toxicity may experience a number of symptoms: darkened, tight, shiny skin; painful skin; joint stiffness; yellowish eyes; loss of movement; joint pain; and damage to the heart, lungs, and other organs. If you have kidney disease and think you may have suffered Gadolinium toxicity as a result of exposure to Gadolinium contrast agents, contact your physician to be tested for NSF.
In addition, you may experience some side effects or allergic reactions to Gadolinium, even if you do not have kidney disease. Some patients experience headaches, blood clots, low blood pressure, nausea, faintness, and irritation or blood vessels as well as other allergic reactions sometimes when getting Gadolinium dye injections.
