Nephrotoxicity of Contrast Media in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

A double-blind urographic and angiographic study was done with the ionic contrast medium meglumine metrizoate and the non-ionic iohexol in 90 patients with diabetes mellitus. Twenty patients were insulin dependent, and 70 non-insulin dependent diabetics. Diabetic patients with decreased as well as normal renal function prior to the examination sustained a reversible and small increase in the plasma creatinine level postexamination. The small increase caused by meglumine metrizoate was significantly higher than the increase caused by iohexol. There was also a significantly higher increase in plasma creatinine among the patients with diabetic nephropathy compared with those without nephropathy.