 Angiograms
reveal, with great detail, the anatomy of the blood vessels
of the brain. During the procedure, which is done
using a local anesthetic and intravenous sedation, a catheter
(tube which goes in the blood vessels) is placed into the femoral
artery in the leg, and passed up through the aorta, and then
dye is injected into the arteries leading to the brain (carotid
arteries, vertebral arteries). X rays are then taken of
the head, from different angles, to image the vasculature (blood
vessels) or the brain. This test is excellent to see aneurysms,
arteriovenous malformations (blood vessel abnormalities within
the brain), and the blood supply to some tumors. Narrowing
of the carotid arteries (known as carotid stenosis) within
the neck can also be seen. Risks of the procedure are
quite low, but do include such complications as bleeding from
the artery in the leg, injury to the artery in the leg, and
stroke or death from the dislodging of debris within the arteries
supplying the brain.
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