title: Ferumoxytol in clinical practice: implications for MRI.
abstract: Ferumoxytol is an iron-containing parenteral treatment for iron deficiency anemia that was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The iron is in the form of a superparamagnetic iron oxide that causes T1, T2, and T2* shortening on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Furthermore, the drug has a long intravascular half-life of 14-15 hours; a standard dose can affect MRI for days to months. We describe a case in which a patient underwent contrast-enhanced MRI of the liver 2 days after receiving a dose of ferumoxytol, which was unknown to the radiology team. The blood pool and soft tissues were hyperintense on T1-weighted images, concealing enhancement from the gadolinium-based contrast agent that was administered during the exam and rendering the exam nondiagnostic. Radiologists must be aware of this potential effect in screening patients for MRI and interpreting exams.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA. brenmcc@uw.edu
authors.forename: Brendan J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: McCullough
authors.forename: Orpheus
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kolokythas
authors.forename: Jeffrey H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Maki
authors.forename: Douglas E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D016477:Artifacts; D000075202:Contraindications; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide