Table 1.
Physicochemical characteristics of iodine-based contrast media
| Name | Structure | Ionicity | Application | Concentration | Molecular weight | Osmolality 37 °C |
Viscosity 37 °C |
1-Butanol/water partition coefficient pH 7.6−37 °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (mgI/mL) | (Dalton) | (mOsm/kg) | (mPa s) | P (log P) | ||||
| Iohexol | Monomeric | Nonionic | IV | 300 | 821 | 640 | 6.1 | 0.082 (− 1.086) |
| Iopromide | Monomeric | Nonionic | IV | 300 | 791 | 607 | 4.6 | 0.149 (− 0.827) |
| Iopamidol | Monomeric | Nonionic | IV | 300 | 777 | 616 | 4.7 | 0.089 (− 1.050) |
| Iomeprol | Monomeric | Nonionic | IV | 300 | 777 | 521 | 4.5 | 0.105 (− 0.979) |
| Ioversol | Monomeric | Nonionic | IV | 300 | 807 | 645 | 5.5 | 0.031 (− 1.509) |
| Iobitridol | Monomeric | Nonionic | IV | 300 | 835 | 695 | 6.0 | NA |
| Iodixanol | Dimeric | Nonionic | IV | 320 | 1550 | 290 | 11.4 | 0.043 (− 1.370) |
| Diatrizoate* | Monomeric | Ionic | Oral | 370 | 614 | 2150 | 8.9 | 0.044 (− 1.356) |
| Ioxitalamate* | Monomeric | Ionic | Oral | 300 | 644 | 1710 | 5.3 | NA |
NA, no data available; *high osmolar contrast medium
Sources: SPCs of individual contrast media; Eloy, Clin Mat 1991; Krause, Invest Radiol 1994; Krause, Invest Radiol 1996; Dawson, Textbook of Contrast Media, 1999; ACR, Contrast Media Manual 2022; Personal communication with Bayer Healthcare, Bracco Imaging, GE Healthcare, Guerbet