Waldenströms macroglobulinaemia and intravenous contrast media

In vivo and in vitro studies have been performed in a group of patients with immunoproliferative diseases to evaluate the risk of serious reactions due to serum jelling after intravenous injection of iodinated contrast media. Sol-jell convertion and/or turbidimetric variations have not been observed when either sera or plasmas have been mixed with variable amounts of a methylglucamine salt of ioglycamic acid (MGI) and other compounds. In addition, no side-effects have been clinically recorded in three patients with Waldenströms macroglobulinaemia (WM) whose sera and/or plasmas had been studied in vitro, when they have been submitted to intravenous contrast examinations. The results suggest that there is not an evidence of a relationship between iodinated contrast media and fatal reactions due to sol-jell alterations in patients with WM and therefore a radiological examination using contrast media may be carried out in those patients.