INTRAVENOUS DIGITAL SUBTRACTION ANGIOGRAPHY IN PATIENTS WITH CAROTID TERRITORY ISCHEMIA - A PROSPECTIVE TRIAL

Abstract

To evaluate the place of intravenous digital subtraction angiography (IV-DSA) in the investigation of patients with carotid territory ischemia, we have compared the IV-DSA and conventional angiographic (CA) findings in 40 patients in a prospective study. Arterial disease was assessed by grading stenosis from zero (normal artery) to six (complete occlusion) and recording any luminal ulceration. In 59 of 66 bifurcations imaged by both techniques, the IV-DSA evaluation of any internal carotid artery origin disease was within one grade of the CA assessment, with three false negatives and four false positives. Luminal ulceration was less reliably predicted, and two clinically important middle cer..