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Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis: a severe complication of use to gadolinium in patients with kidney failure

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), also known as nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NFD), is a condition that has occurred only in patients with renal insufficiency. Besides lesions of the skin, this syndrome include fibrosis of skeletal muscle, joints, liver, lung, and heart, with possible fatal outcomes. This disease was first described in 1997 and several reports described the development of NSF after the exposure to gadolinium-based magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents. This review aims to alert physicians and nephrologists about this new pathology that affects patients with renal dysfunction, describing its demographic and epidemiologics aspects, clinic presentation, diagnosis and prognosis, beyond options to prevent and current treatment. We concluded that in all patient with elevated serum creatinine physicians should estimade his kidney function (creatinine clearence) in order to safety of magnetic resonance.

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis; Nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy; Gadolinium; Fibrosis; Kidney failure


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