Efficacy and safety of iobitridol versus iohexol for contrast-enhanced CT of the head.

Purpose: The efficacy and adverse reactions of iobitridol versus iohexol in contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) of the head were investigated.

Material and methods: This double-blind randomized parallel study compared the clinical and biological safety of iobitridol and iohexol (350 mgI/ml), administered intravenously (1 ml/kg) to 276 patients undergoing CECT of the head. Vital signs were assessed just before after injection, and 24 hours after. A biologic examination was performed before and after injection. Both groups were comparable at inclusion.

Results and conclusion: The within-group variation for vital signs after injection and 24 hours after was not clinically relevant and no significant difference was evident between treatment groups. The incidence of adverse events was similar in both groups (11.0% for iobitridol and 7.1 % for iohexol), consisting most often of a sensation of warmth. Biologic parameters remained stable and did not differ significantly between groups. The quality of imaging was rated good or excellent in 70% of cases and a very high diagnostic discrimination was achieved (98%). Iobitridol compared favorably with iohexol for head CECT.