A middle-aged man who is a dialysis patient presents to your clinic with a “woody” appearance to his legs. He had an MRI with gadolinum-containing contrast a few months prior. What might he be suffering from? Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (formerly called nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy). Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis is an uncommon disease with cutaneous manifestations that include induration, thickening, and hardening of the skin, most commonly on the extremities. The pathophysiology is related to the exposure of patients with renal insufficiency to gadolinium-based contrast agents. High HA, Ayers RA, Cowper SE: Gadolinium is quantifiable within the tissue of patients with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, J Am Acad Dermatol 56:710–712, 2007. |
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