Contrast Agents

Brian Chung, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology

Honorio T. Benzon, M.D.
Professor of Anesthesiology

Department of Anesthesiology
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, Illinois

Introduction - TOP

All body tissues attenuate the amount of radiation that reaches a radiographic detector to some degree.  Contrast agents for conventional radiography are most commonly iodine-based.  When placed in the body via any of a number of routes, these agents often provide greater attenuation than either the tissue or bone itself.  This allows a differentiation between tissues that would otherwise have similar attenuation properties.

An ideal RCM agent has several properties including providing reasonable attenuation to delineate anatomic structures.  The agent should be nontoxic to target tissues as well as non-target sites and should not be hazardous if injected into an unintended site.  It should be able to linger long enough for radiographic study.  On the other hand, the substance should have reasonably rapid clearance after sufficient images are obtained.  The agent should also be cost-effective.

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