What is Catheter 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 most cases, a contrast material injection is needed to produce pictures of blood vessels in 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 ionizing radiation (x-rays).

What are some common uses of the procedure?

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

• brain
• neck
• heart
• chest
• abdomen (such as the kidneys and liver)
• pelvis
• legs and feet
• arms and hands

Physicians use the procedure to:

• identify abnormalities, such as aneurysms, in the aorta, both in the chest and abdomen, or in other arteries.
• detect atherosclerotic (plaque) 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 malformation (abnormal communications between blood vessels) inside the brain or other parts of the body.
• 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 or stent placement.
• 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 or more arteries in the neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis or extremities in patients after trauma.
• 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 the effects of coronary artery disease and plan for a surgical operation, such as a coronary bypass and stenting.
• examine pulmonary arteries in the lungs to detect pulmonary embolism (blood clots, such as those traveling from leg veins) or pulmonary arteriovenous malformations.
• look at congenital abnormalities in blood vessels, especially arteries in children (e.g., malformations in the heart or other blood vessels due to congenital heart disease).
• evaluate obstructions of vessels.