Opacification of the gallbladder after parenteral administration of contrast material usually indicates diminished renal function but can occur with normal renal function. The authors recently experienced 13 cases of such vicarious excretion of
contrast
media. Among 13 patients. 9 patients had renal disease unilateral ureteral stone(n=3), staghorn calculi(n=2), acute renal failure from sepsis(n=1), renal contusion(n=2) and unilateral renal artery involvement by dissecting aortic aneurysm(n=1).
Of
these
9 patients, 3 patients showed abnormal serum creatinine levels at the time of presentation or shortly thereafter. In 6 patients, injection of a large amount of contrast media was possibly the additional cause of vicarius excretion. There was no
detectable cause in the remaining 4 patients.
Heterotopic excretion of contrast media is clearly a complex phenomenon, the reason for which it is difficult to establish with certainty in each individual case. Anyhow, vicarius excretion of contrast media occurs more frequently than previously
thought, and it can occur not only with abnormal renal function but with normal function also.
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