A couple filed an MRI contrast lawsuitagainst the makers of gadolinium MRI contrast dyes, GE Healthcare Inc. and General Electric Company, and others.

Plaintiffs Pearl and John P. filed the MRI contrast lawsuit in Massachusetts federal court demanding a trial by jury. The lawsuit was filed on Aug. 13, 2018.

According to the MRI contrast lawsuit, Pearl was injected with a linear gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) prior to receiving several MRIs in March 2010, August 2013, September 2014, and August 2016.

Although she was told that GBCAs harmlessly exit the body shortly after administration, she has continued to retain gadolinium in her body for years, alleges the MRI contrast lawsuit.

Pearl says that she has suffered “gadolinium retention in multiple organs and soft tissues (e.g., brain, heart, liver, kidney, bones, and skin). She says that this has resulted in permanent physical and emotional injuries because she did not realize the connection between gadolinium and her injuries until June 2017.

According to the MRI contrast lawsuit, “[t]he gadolinium, a toxic heavy metal, causes fibrosis in organs, bone, and skin, other adverse reactions, and crosses the blood-brain barrier and deposits in the neuronal nuclei of the brain.”

The MRI contrast lawsuit was filed on multiple counts including failure to warn, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, negligence per se, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, fraudulent concealment, fraudulent misrepresentation, civil battery, and loss of consortium.

Overview: MRI Contrast Lawsuit

Gadolinium is a heavy chemical element associated with MRI medical scans. It is used as a contrast agent to make medical scans clearer. However, according to a recent gadolinium warning by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), some patients who were contrasted with gadolinium may retain the chemical in their bodies for months or years, causing complications and serious adverse side effects and injuries.

Adverse side effects reported with gadolinium include:

• Memory impairment
• Bone and joint pain
• Spongy or rubbery skin
• Thickened and painful ligaments
• Tightness in the hands and feet
• Headaches
• Cognitive difficulties or “brain fog”
• Pain and burning sensation in the arms, legs, and torso

Patients with pre-existing kidney problems are also warned of a possible rare condition known as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). NSF is a condition that affects people with advanced kidney failure and may resemble skin disease, such as slerodema and scleromyxedema. These look like thick and dark large areas on the skin.

The gadolinium FDA warning was released by the agency in December 2017. The FDA now mandates new safety measures for the contrast dyes that are used in MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging scans, and requires those labels to be placed on all nine approved GBCAs.

Due to the FDA warning, health care professionals should now be more aware that for months to years after an MRI scan, gadolinium can still be retained in the body. Patients will also now receive a “Medication Guide” before undergoing GBCA MRI scan that will inform them of these risks. However, these warnings may have come too late for those already exposed to gadolinium.

The MRI Contrast Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-11709-IT, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.