title: Digital subtraction angiography of the carotid arteries: a comparative study in 100 patients.
abstract: Conventional angiography and intravenous digital subtraction angiography (DSA) were used to examine the common carotid artery bifurcations in 100 patients with clinically suspected arteriosclerotic disease. In 60% of the patients, the quality of the DSA examination was good or excellent bilaterally; in 23%, the quality was good or excellent on one side; in the remaining 17%, both bifurcations were poorly visualized. There was excellent correlation of conventional and digital angiograms when the carotid bifurcations were well visualized with DSA (sensitivity 95%, specificity 99%, accuracy 97%). When the carotid bifurcations were not well visualized with DSA, there was a substantial chance for misinterpretation of the study (sensitivity 54%, specificity 70%, accuracy 64%). Digital subtraction angiography is a safe, rapid procedure that can be performed on an outpatient basis and can accurately evaluate the carotid bifurcation in approximately 70% of the arteries examined.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013382:Subtraction Technique; D014743:Videotape Recording