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Angiogram

 

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Angiogram


 
 


Angiography or arteriography is a medical imagingMedical imaging

Medical imaging is the process by which physicians evaluate an area of the subject's body that is not externally visible, an...
 technique in which an X-rayX-ray

X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength in the range of 10 to 0.01 nanometres, corresponding to fre...
 image is taken to visualize the inside or|lumen]]) of blood vessles and organs of the body. With particular interest in the arteriesArtery

For other uses see Artery Arteries are muscular blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart....
, veinVein

In biology, a vein is a blood vessel which carries blood toward the heart....
s and the heart chamberHeart chamber

Heart chamber is a general term used to refer to any of the four of the heart:...
s.

Its name comes from the GreekGreek language Overview

Greek has a documented history of 3,500 years, the longest of any single language within the Indo-European family....
 words angeion, "vessel", and graphein, "to write or record". The X-ray film or image of the blood vesselBlood vessel

The blood vessels are part of the circulatory system and function to transport blood throughout the body....
s is called an angiograph, or more commonly, an angiogram.

The PortuguesePortugal

Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic is located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula, and is the w...
 physician and neurologist Egas MonizEgas Moniz Summary

Antnio Caetano de Abreu Freire Egas Moniz was a Portuguese psychiatrist and neurosurgeon....
, Nobel PrizeNobel Prize

The Nobel Prizes are prizes instituted by the will of Alfred Nobel, awarded to people who have done outstanding research, i...
 winner in 1949, developed in 1927 the technique of contrasted x-ray cerebral angiographyCerebral angiography

Cerebral angiography or arteriography is a form of medical imaging that visualises the arterial and venous supply of t...
 to diagnose several kinds of nervous diseases, such as tumors and arteriovenous malformations. He is usually recognised as one of the pioneers in this field. With the introduction of the Seldinger techniqueSeldinger technique

The Seldinger technique is a medical procedure to obtain safe access to blood vessels and other hollow organs....
 in 1953, the procedure became markedly safer as no sharp introductory devices needed to remain inside the vascular lumen.

Technique

Depending on the type of angiogram, access to the blood vessels is gained most commonly through the Femoral arteryFemoral artery

In anatomy, the femoral artery is a large artery in the muscles of the thigh. ...
, to look at the left side of the heart and the arterial system or the Jugular or Femoral veinFemoral vein

In the human body, the femoral vein is a blood vessel that accompanies the femoral artery in the femoral sheath....
, to look at the right side of the heart and the venous system. Using a system of Guide wireGuide wire

Device made of flexible metal used to guide placement of catheters in vascular surgery....
s and Catheters, a type of Contrast agent (which shows up by absorbing the x-rays), is added to the blood to make it visible on the x-ray images.

The X-rayX-ray

X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength in the range of 10 to 0.01 nanometres, corresponding to fre...
 images taken may either be still images, displayed on a Image intensifierImage intensifier

An image intensifier is a device that amplifies visible and near-infrared light from an image so that a dimly lit scene can...
 or film, or motion images. For all structures except the heart, the images are usually taken using a technique called Digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Images in this case are usually taken at 2 - 3 frames per second, which allows the radiologist to evaluate the flow of the blood through a vessel or vessels. This technique "subtracts" the bones and other organs so only the vessels filled with contrast agent can be seen. The heart images are taken at 15-30 frames per second, not using a subtraction technique. Because DSA requires the patient to remain motionless, it cannot be used on the heart. Both these techniques enable the radiologist or cardiologist to see stenosisStenosis

A stenosis is an abnormal narrowing in a blood vessel or other tubular organ or structure....
 (blockages or narrowings) inside the vessel which maybe inhibiting the flow of blood and causing pain.

Uses

Coronary Angiography

One of most common angiograms performed is to visualize the blood in the coronary arteries. A long, thin, flexible tube called a catheterCatheter

In medicine, a catheter is a tube that can be inserted into a body cavity duct or vessel....
 is used to administer the x-ray contrast agent at the desired area to be visualized. The catheter is threaded into an artery in the groinFacts About Groin

The groin is the crease at the junction of the torso with the legs and the adjacent region that includes the external genit...
 or forearmForearm

colspan=2 align=center | |-| align="center" width="150px" | | align="center" width="150px" | |}...
, and the tip is advanced through the arterial system into one of the two major coronary arteries. X-rayX-ray

X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength in the range of 10 to 0.01 nanometres, corresponding to fre...
 images of the transient radiocontrastRadiocontrast

Radiocontrast agents are compounds used to improve the visibility of internal bodily structures in an X-ray image....
 distribution within the blood flowing within the coronary arteries allows visualization of the size of the artery openingsLumen

Lumen can mean:* Lumen, the SI unit of luminous flux...
. Presence or absence of atherosclerosisAtherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a disease affecting the arterial blood vessel....
 or atheromaAtheroma

An atheroma is an abnormal inflammatory accumulation of macrophage white blood cells within the walls of arteries....
 within the walls of the arteriesArtery

For other uses see Artery Arteries are muscular blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart....
 cannot be clearly determined. See coronary catheterizationCoronary catheterization

A coronary catheterization is a minimally invasive procedure to access the coronary circulation and blood filled chambers of...
 for more detail.

Peripheral Angiography


Angiography is also commonly performed to identify vessel narrowingStenosis

A stenosis is an abnormal narrowing in a blood vessel or other tubular organ or structure....
 in patients with leg claudication or cramps, caused by reduced blood flow down the legs and to the feet; in patients with renal stenosis (which commonly causes high blood pressure) and can be used in the head to find and repair stroke. These are all done routinely through the femoral artery, but can also be performed through the brachial or axillary (arm) artery. Any stenoses found may be treated by the use of AngioplastyAngioplasty

Angioplasty is the mechanical alteration of a narrowed or totally obstructed vascular lumen, generally caused by atheroma....
.

Other

Other angiographic uses include the diagnosis of retinaRetina Overview

The retina is a thin layer of neural cells that lines the back of the eyeball of vertebrates and some cephalopods....
l vascular disorders, such as diabetic retinopathyDiabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is retinopathy caused by complications of diabetes mellitus, which could eventually lead to blindness....
 and macular degenerationMacular degeneration

Macular degeneration is a medical condition in which the light sensing cells in the macula malfunction and, over time, cease...
.

Historic usage

The term angiography, or angeiography, was originally used of a description of the weightWeight

Weight is a term of measurement referring to either an object's mass or to the gravitational force acting on the object....
s, measuresUnits of measurement

The definition, agreement and practical use of units of measurement have played a crucial role in human endeavour from early...
, vessels, etc, used by several nations.

The Future

Due to the advancement in medical imaging, it is now possible to perform almost all Angiograms through a CT scanner, known as Computed tomography angiographyComputed tomography angiography

CTA or computed tomography angiography, is an examination that uses x-rays to visualize blood flow in arterial and venous vessels ...
. This is better for the patient as it is less invasive with fewer associated risks.

See also

  • Intravenous digital subtraction angiographyIntravenous digital subtraction angiography

    Intravenous digital subtraction angiography is a form of angiography which was first developed in the late 1970s....
  • Angiography
  • Contrast MediumContrast medium

    A contrast medium is a radiopaque substance used to facilitate roentgen visualization of internal structures of the body suc...
  • Image intensifierImage intensifier

    An image intensifier is a device that amplifies visible and near-infrared light from an image so that a dimly lit scene can...
  • Computed Tomography AngiographyComputed tomography angiography

    CTA or computed tomography angiography, is an examination that uses x-rays to visualize blood flow in arterial and venous vessels ...
  • Cardiac catheterizationCardiac catheterization

    Cardiac catheterization is the insertion of a catheter into a chamber or vessel of the heart....
  • Peripheral artery occlusive diseasePeripheral artery occlusive disease

    In medicine, peripheral artery occlusive disease is a collator for all diseases caused by the obstruction of large periphera...


External links

  • - The radiology information resource for Cardiologists, Radiologists, Cardiac and Radiologic Techs - A Free Resource For Cardiac Imaging
  • - The radiology information resource for patients: Angiography procedures
  • from Angioplasty.Org
  • from Siemens Medical