Contrast enhanced brain CT comparison between iohexol and metrizoate.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Contrast media are essential for enhancing diagnostic accuracy in cranial computed tomography (CT).
• Metrizoate (Isopaque Cerebral) is a widely used iodinated contrast agent.
• Iohexol is a newer, nonionic contrast agent developed to potentially improve safety profiles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the safety and efficacy of iohexol versus metrizoate for contrast enhancement in cranial CT.
• To evaluate the incidence of adverse reactions associated with each contrast medium.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, double-blind study was conducted.
• 105 patients received intravenous metrizoate, and 105 patients received intravenous iohexol for cranial CT.
• Adverse reactions and enhancement efficiency were recorded and compared.

Main Results:

• No serious adverse reactions were reported for either contrast medium.
• Ten patients (9.5%) receiving metrizoate experienced minor, mainly allergic-type reactions.
• Only one patient (0.95%) receiving iohexol experienced an adverse reaction.
• No significant differences in enhancement efficiency were observed between the two agents.

Conclusions:

• Iohexol appears to be a safer alternative to metrizoate for cranial CT contrast enhancement due to a significantly lower incidence of minor adverse reactions.
• Both contrast media provide comparable enhancement efficiency for cranial CT imaging.