Lipiodol
Lipiodol, also known as ethiodized oil, is a poppyseed oil used by injection as a radio-opaque contrast agent that is used to outline structures in radiological investigations. It is used in chemoembolization applications as a contrast agent in follow-up imaging. Lipiodol is also used in lymphangiography, the imaging of the lymphatic system. It has an additional use in gastric variceal obliteration as a dilutant that does not affect polymerization of cyanoacrylate.
Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the use of Lipiodol as a therapeutic agent in the management of unexplained infertility, using a procedure called Lipiodol flushing. There have been a small number of studies that suggest that flushing the media through the tubes gives a short-term rise in fecundity in patients with unexplained infertility. A systematic review has suggested a significant increase in fertility, especially in those women who have endometriosis when using Lipiodol flushing.
Historically Lipiodol was often used as a contrast medium at hysterosalpingography. It became less commonly utilized in the 1960s to 1980s because the more modern water-soluble media give images that are easier to interpret. There is also an important safety issue with Lipiodol in that intravasation of the fluid into the venous system has caused complications in the past.
Ethiodized oil is composed of iodine combined with ethyl esters of fatty acids of poppyseed oil, primarily as ethyl monoiodostearate and ethyl diiodostearate. The precise structure is not known.
Lipiodol was first synthesized by Marcel Guerbet in the Paris School of Pharmacy in 1901. Historically, Lipiodol was the first iodinated contrast agent.
Lipiodol is solely produced and marketed by Guerbet since Savage Laboratories discontinued manufacturing in 2010.
