Friday, August 13, 2010

More about HSGs

I am sorry to report that the US manufacturer of Ethiodol, the oil-based hysterosalpingogram dye that promotes fertility, has ceased manufacture of the product. To my knowledge, this wasn't a safety issue, but rather a financial one. There is potential good news on the horizon, though, as the FDA has solicited an application from a French company that makes Ethiodol to begin selling it in this country. The FDA isn't particularly interested in having the product available for HSGs, but it turns out that Ethiodol is used by interventional radiologists to deliver targeted chemotherapy to inoperable liver tumors.

I did the last Ethiodol-HSG a month ago on a patient who had previously conceived after an HSG a few years back. She called the hospitals all over Birmingham until she found a vial. For now, we are stuck with doing HSGs with water-soluble dye, but as soon as the Ethiodol becomes available again, I plan to switch back. Stay tuned.