Radiology, Vol 154, 339-341, Copyright © 1985 by Radiological Society of North America

ARTICLES

Shoulder arthrography: comparison of morbidity after use of various contrast media

FM Hall, RP Goldberg, G Wyshak and RF Kilcoyne

This prospective study compares immediate and delayed patient discomfort in 177 patients following shoulder arthrography using intraarticular combinations of metrizamide, meglumine/sodium diatrizoate, meglumine diatrizoate, lidocaine, epinephrine, and air. Patients receiving conventional ionic monomeric positive contrast media had a 60% (90/150) incidence of moderate or severe delayed exacerbation of their baseline symptoms; only 14% (3/21) of patients receiving metrizamide, a nonionic contrast medium, had similar levels of postprocedural discomfort. Morbidity was somewhat diminished with the use of double-contrast (45%, 34/75) rather than single-contrast (75%, 56/75) examinations, and with avoidance of sodium-containing contrast agents or epinephrine. Nonionic or monovalent polymeric contrast media, despite their present high cost, may be the agents of choice if single- contrast arthrography is performed in joints (such as the shoulder, hip, and temporomandibular) associated with a high incidence of post- procedural pain.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. A. Jacobson, J. Lin, D. A. Jamadar, and C. W. Hayes Aids to Successful Shoulder Arthrography Performed with a Fluoroscopically Guided Anterior Approach RadioGraphics, March 1, 2003; 23(2): 373 - 378. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. A. Binkert, M. Zanetti, and J. Hodler Patient's Assessment of Discomfort during MR Arthrography of the Shoulder Radiology, December 1, 2001; 221(3): 775 - 778. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]