[Acute renal failure after gadolinium-containing contrast medium in preexisting chronic renal failure stage II]

Gadolinium-containing contrast media in low concentration as normally used in magnetic resonance imaging are considered to be safe in patients with slightly impaired renal function.

A case of acute renal failure after administration of gadolinium 0.09 mmol/kg body weight in a patient with preexisting mild renal failure (creatinine clearance 55 ml/min) is described. The additional renal damage was partially reversible.

The reason for the preexisting renal failure was light-chain disease type kappa. This kind of renal damage may be especially susceptible to contrast media toxicity.