iothalamate-meglumine and Vascular-Diseases

Ioversol, the new nonionic, low-osmolality contrast agent, has been well characterized chemically and in terms of basic toxicity testing. Ioversol has a formula similar to that of other nonionic agents, and has been used in a variety of clinical studies. These have been reviewed in detail in other papers. This article reviews the worldwide experience to date with the intra-arterial use of this contrast agent. Ioversol has been given to more than 500 patients for studies including intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography, and cerebral, visceral, peripheral, and cardiac angiography. In 23 carefully monitored studies, ioversol was shown to be safe and diagnostically efficacious, as compared with several high- and low-osmolality agents. To date, there have been no deaths or other severe reactions with this new nonionic formulation. Ioversol is likely to provide a useful addition to the current formulary of low-osmolality agents.

Topics: Angiography; Clinical Trials as Topic; Contrast Media; Diatrizoate; Double-Blind Method; Humans; Iodobenzoates; Iopamidol; Iothalamate Meglumine; Subtraction Technique; Triiodobenzoic Acids; Vascular Diseases

Computerized tomographic scanning is being used with increasing frequency for the detection of abdominal aortic prosthetic complications. Although computerized tomography remains a very precise method for direct imaging of the retroperitoneal space, the interpretation of a postoperative computerized tomographic scan is limited by the absence of any information on the normal appearance of the routine uncomplicated aortic graft. To study the normal tissue incorporation of aortic grafts, 29 patients were evaluated with periodic postoperative computerized tomographic scans. Seventeen patients had aortoiliac occlusive disease and 12 had aneurysmal disease. No patients who had reoperation were included and all patients had a normal postoperative course. Computerized tomographic scans were obtained in the early (mean 7 days), intermediate (mean 48 days), and late (mean 102 days) postoperative periods. A variable amount of perigraft hematoma was always present on the initial computerized tomographic scan. Perigraft air was seen in only four patients in the early study. Graft incorporation appeared complete in these patients by 48 days, although minimal hematoma persisted in one patient. This study provides baseline data on the appearance and timing of aortic graft incorporation which should facilitate subsequent computerized tomographic detection of aortic graft complications.

Topics: Aged; Aorta, Abdominal; Aortic Aneurysm; Blood Vessel Prosthesis; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Iliac Artery; Iothalamate Meglumine; Male; Polyethylene Terephthalates; Polytetrafluoroethylene; Prospective Studies; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Vascular Diseases