Angiography

Angiography is a minimally invasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. Angiography uses one of three imaging technologies and, in some cases, a contrast material to produce pictures of major blood vessels throughout the body.

Angiography is performed using:

• x-rays with catheters
• computed tomography (CT)
• magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

In catheter angiography, a thin plastic tube, called a catheter, is inserted into an artery through a small incision in the skin. Once the catheter is guided to the area being examined, a contrast material is injected through the tube and images are captured using a small dose of x-ray.

Catheter angiography is used to examine blood vessels in key areas of the body, including the:

• brain
• kidneys
• pelvis
• legs
• lungs
• heart
• neck
• abdomen

Common Uses for Angiography

• identify disease and aneurysms in the aorta, both in the chest and abdomen, or in other major blood vessels
• detect atherosclerotic disease in the carotid artery of the neck, which may limit blood flow to the brain and cause a stroke
• identify a small aneurysm or arteriovenous malformations inside the brain
• detect atherosclerotic disease that has narrowed the arteries to the legs and help prepare for endovascular intervention or surgery
• detect disease in the arteries to the kidneys or visualize blood flow to help prepare for a kidney transplant
• guide interventional radiologists and surgeons making repairs to diseased blood vessels, such as implanting stents or evaluating a stent after implantation
• detect injury to one of more arteries in the neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis or extremities in trauma patients
• evaluate arteries feeding a tumor prior to surgery or other procedures such as chemoembolization or selective internal radiation therapy
• identify dissection or splitting in the aorta in the chest or abdomen or its major branches.
• show the extent and severity of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries and plan for a surgical operation, such as a coronary bypass and stenting
• sample blood from specific veins in the body to detect any endocrine disease
• examine pulmonary arteries in the lungs to detect pulmonary embolism (blood clots from leg veins)