[Intracranial distribution of iohexol and iotrolan after cervical myelography]

Twenty-eight consecutive patients undergoing cervical myelography were examined with either iohexol (14) or iotrolan (14). Just before the myelography a cranial CT was performed and control CT (3-5 slices) examinations were performed three, six, 24 and 48 hours afterwards. In all 28 patients CT showed intracranial contrast medium distribution after cervical myelography. The contrast medium distributed mainly in the subarachnoid space, first to the basal cisterns and the insular fissures, and to the 4th ventricle. The densities in the subarachnoid spaces were significantly higher after iotrolan than iohexol in the basal cisterns three and six hours after myelography, and in the 4th ventricle. The subcortical density was still increasing 48 hours after iotrolanmyelography while the subcortical density reached the maximum 24 hours after iohexolmyelography. Following cervical myelography the contrast media iohexol and iotrolan distribute intracranially and iotrolan seems to be eliminated more slowly than iohexol.