Dermopatía nefrogénica fibrosante / fibrosis sistémica nefrogénica

Originally described as nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy because of its primarily cutaneous manifestations, this disease was renamed nephrogenic systemic fibrosis because of the involvement of several organs. The pathogenesis of the disease is not yet known, but a strong association between the development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis and exposure to gadolinium-based contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging has recently been suggested. As a consequence of this association, it is recommended that the use of these contrast agents be avoided in patients with kidney failure when possible. Unfortunately, the only alternatives are often imaging modalities using iodinated radiocontrast agents, which also have adverse effects in these patients. Therefore, each patient should be evaluated individually to ascertain the risk-to-benefit ratio for a given examination.