In a recent MSNBC article, a Yale dermatologist reported that as many as one out of 20 kidney patients may contract a debilitating disease after using contrast agents (dyes) that are common in the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) process.

One woman’s story

The article reported on one California woman’s battle with the disease. She said that this skin disease called NSF/NFD (Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis/ Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy) is the most difficult thing she’s ever had to deal with and that she cries every day due to emotional and physical pain she feels.

According to the article, her skin has hardened to the point that it looks like marble and is extremely painful – so much so that she cannot even open a bottle and has extreme difficulty sitting or walking. Although she’s only 38 years old, she’s one of nearly 1,000 people who have contracted NSF/NFD without really understanding why. What’s worse is that there is no known cure for the disease.

NSF/NFD symptoms and warnings

Symptoms. Although not discovered until 1997, NSF and NSD are very serious conditions that harden the skin to a degree that victims’ internal organs may damage; they could lose mobility or even die. The medical community continues to try and understand the disease, but no significant progress has been made.

According to an alert published by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the symptoms of NSF/NFD include:

• For the bones, joints and muscles: joint stiffness; limited range of motion in the arms, hands, legs, or feet; pain deep in the hip bone or ribs; and/or muscle weakness
• For the skin: burning or itching, reddened or darkened patches; and/or skin swelling, hardening and/or tightening
• For the eyes: yellow raised spots on the whites of the eyes

The FDA recommends that anyone who thinks they may have NSF/NFD to have a skin biopsy.

Warnings. The FDA has issued warnings for five dyes that are used in MRIs and MRAs (magnetic resonance angiography). Although each is marketed under a different name, the primary ingredient in all of these drugs is gadolinium. The five dyes being investigated are Optimark, Magnevist, Multihance, Prohance and Omniscan. The FDA has issued the following warning:

While FDA conducts its investigation, the following recommendations are being provided to health care providers and patients:

• Gadolinium-containing contrast agents, especially at high doses, should be used only if clearly necessary in patients with advanced kidney failure
• It may be prudent to institute prompt dialysis in patients with advanced kidney dysfunction who receive a gadolinium contrast MRI/MRA.

Unfortunately for the California woman and the nearly thousand others who have contracted the disease, these warnings may be too little, too late. If you think you may have developed NSF/NFD, contact an attorney immediately who can review your case. To contact an attorney near you whose practice focuses in this area of law, click here.