Clinical experience with ioversol for angiography.

Ioversol, the new nonionic, low-osmolality contrast agent, has been well characterized chemically and in terms of basic toxicity testing. Ioversol has a formula similar to that of other nonionic agents, and has been used in a variety of clinical studies. These have been reviewed in detail in other papers. This article reviews the worldwide experience to date with the intra-arterial use of this contrast agent. Ioversol has been given to more than 500 patients for studies including intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography, and cerebral, visceral, peripheral, and cardiac angiography. In 23 carefully monitored studies, ioversol was shown to be safe and diagnostically efficacious, as compared with several high- and low-osmolality agents. To date, there have been no deaths or other severe reactions with this new nonionic formulation. Ioversol is likely to provide a useful addition to the current formulary of low-osmolality agents.