What is Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis?
NSF is a disease process that produces progressive fibrosis. Most commonly it involves the skin in which it produces sites of skin thickening that can be painful or itchy. If it occurs around the joints it can cause joint stiffening, which can be disabling. In some cases, the fibrosis can involve the internal organs. There is a possible association between the MRI contrast agent and the incidence of this rare disease in patients with kidney disease. Therefore if you are scheduled for an MRI with a contrast injection, and your kidneys do not work well, you must have a recent (within 3 months) eGFR value available. This is a measure of your kidney function. If you have not had recent blood work done, your test will be rebooked while we wait for the blood test to be done. You will need to see your doctor to have the blood test arranged. Depending on your eGFR level, you may not have the contrast injection done at all.
