ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of extravasation of
iodinated contrast medium (ICM) at the site of intravenous injection in
oncology patients submitted to computed tomography (CT).Materials and MethodsThis was a retrospective, descriptive, single-center study that evaluated all
patients who underwent CT with ICM administration and presented ICM
extravasation, at a cancer center, between January 2010 and December
2015.ResultsDuring the study period, we evaluated a total of 99,076 ICM injections and
identified 199 cases of extravasation, the incidence rate therefore being
0.20%. Among the patients who presented extravasation, the mean age was
59.22 years and 60% were female. The extravasation was classified as mild in
94.10% of the patients and as moderate in 5.90%. There were no cases of
severe extravasation in the sample.ConclusionThe incidence of ICM extravasation in cancer patients submitted to CT in the
present study was similar to that reported for the general population,
according to other studies in the literature. The vast majority of cases of
extravasation were considered mild, and no severe cases were observed in the
study sample.