IMAGE QUALITY AND SAFETY IN PEDIATRIC UROGRAPHY USING AN IONIC AND A NONIONIC IODINATED CONTRAST AGENT

The safety and diagnostic efficacy of the new non-ionic, monomeric con trast medium iopentol (Imagopaque) were evaluated and compared with th ose of the ionic medium metrizoate (Isopaque), in urography in childre n in a randomized, double-blind, parallel study. The trial comprised 5 9 children aged from 3 months to 8 years; children with predefined ris k factors were not included. The difference in attenuation between the renal and perirenal tissue, assessed from film density measurements, was chosen as the main variable. Diagnostic efficacy was also evaluate d subjectively from demarcation of the kidney and the pelvic structure s. There was no statistically significant difference between the group s in the diagnostic efficacy. Serious adverse events did not occur in either group. Mild to moderate, transient adverse events were signific antly less frequent in the iopentol group than in the metrizoate group , but in no case was medical treatment required. There were no changes or trends toward changes of clinical importance in either group, in s erum chemistry variables measured in blood samples taken 2 min after i njection of contrast medium compared to baseline values.