[Cerebral angiography: a study of complications in 450 consecutive procedures].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate all types of complications, both minor and major, associated with modern cerebral angiography.


METHODS
A prospective study of 450 consecutive cerebral angiographic procedures is reported.


RESULTS
One patient (0.2%) died from a cholesterol embolus. In seven patients (1.6%), thromboembolic events occurred within 24 hours after the procedure, leading to transient ischemic symptoms in six and permanent hemiplegia in one. Two patients suffered from acute renal failure (0.4%). Transient cardiac arrhythmias were observed in three patients without consequence on the clinical outcome. Most complications of angiography occurred in patients referred from the neurology department for work-up of stroke syndrome.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that morbidity and mortality rates related to the angiographic procedure did not decrease in spite of major improvement of angiographic materiel. Atherosclerosis is the main risk factor for complication. Most of the complications could be avoided by appropriate selection of indications and by using non-invasive techniques such as magnetic resonance angiography or helical CT angiography.
Berteloot
D
D
Service de Neuroradiologie, CHRU de Lille, Hôpital R Salengro.
Leclerc
X
X
Leys
D
D
Krivosic
R
R
Pruvo
J P
JP
D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000209:etiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D000075202:Contraindications; D017700:Embolism, Cholesterol / Q000209:etiology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications; D002542:Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000209:etiology; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed