CAESIUM TETRAIODOPHENOLPHTHALEIN—A NEW SALT FOR GALL-BLADDER VISUALIZATION

¹ From the Laboratory of Surgical Research, University of Pennsylvania, and from the Surgical Clinic (Division E) and the Gastro-Intestinal section of the Medical Clinic, University of Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia

1. A new cholecystographic salt, caesium tetraiodophenolphthalein, has been prepared by replacing with caesium the sodium of the salt suggested by Graham and Cole.

2. Laboratory investigations suggested:

(a) That comparable roentgen shadows of the dogs normal gall bladder could be obtained with a smaller amount of caesium tetraiodophenolphthalein than with sodium tetraiodophenolphthalein (both given intravenously).

(b) That when given intravenously in the dog, the caesium salt was slightly less toxic than either of the two sodium salts.

3. A small series of clinical trials of the salt have given the following results:

(a) Two and one-fifth grams of caesium tetraiodophenolphthalein given intravenously produced a shadow as dense as that of 2.7 grams of sodium tetraiodophenolphthalein (iodeikon) given orally.

(b) When both salts are given intravenously, 2.64 grams of caesium tetraiodophenolphthalein were required to give as dense a shadow as 2.5 grams of sodium phenoltetraiodophthalein (iso-iodeikon).

(c) Effective doses of caesium tetraiodophenolphthalein were found to be less toxic than effective doses of sodium phenoltetraiodophthalein (iso-iodeikon).