Possible uses of contrast media

Abstract

The possible field of applications of CM is wide. It ranges from the administration of CM with purely mechanical filling of certain cavity systems to opacification in a functional manner In the latter case,the actual function of organs, such as the kidneys and liver, namely the elimination of metabolic end-products or exogenous substances, is exploited to demonstrate the organ itself. As exogenous substances, the CM are eliminated from the organism via the kidneys and urine (urography) or via the liver and bile (cholegraphy) depending on their chemical structure and properties. As a consequence, parenchymal structures or elimination pathways become visible in the X-ray film (table 8a, b).