Ventriculography with non-ionic water-soluble contrast medium, Amipaque (metrizamide). Comparative experimental and clinical studies.

A non-ionic water-soluble contrast medium, Amipaque (metrizamide), was studied for use in ventriculography both experimentally and clinically, and identified as having markedly low toxicity. Twenty adult mongrel dogs were injected intraventricularly of intracisternally with 2.0 to 5.0 ml of Amipaque. It was found that Amipaque is safe compared with other water-soluble contrast media, especially relative to epileptogenic effect. The authors also carried out 17 clinical trials of ventriculography using 4.0 to 15.0 ml of Amipaque in 13 neurosurgical patients. There were no troublesome symptoms except for a mild headache as a side-effect in one patient, and Amipaque proved to be a satisfactory diagnostic contrast medium.