Retrospective Study of Complications Arising during Cerebral and Spinal Diagnostic Angiography from 1998 to 2003

Abstract

<jats:p> This retrospective study aimed to assess the percentage of complications in the daily practice of cerebral and spinal cord diagnostic angiography at our institution and to compare this with literature reports published in the last twenty years and guidelines for angiography. </jats:p><jats:p> From 1<jats:sup>st</jats:sup> December 1998 to 1<jats:sup>st</jats:sup> December 2003 2154 patients underwent digital angiography for a total of 5996 vessels selected. </jats:p><jats:p> Three neurological complications arose during angiographic procedures in the five year period. </jats:p><jats:p> Focal neurological deficit resolving within 24h in two patients, Permanent neurological deficit in one patient. </jats:p><jats:p> There were no adverse systemic reactions to contrast medium. </jats:p><jats:p> Retrospective analysis of our cohort disclosed a complication rate of 0.1% for transient neurological complications and 0.05% for permanent deficits. </jats:p>

2011 ASA/ACCF/AHA/AANN/AANS/ACR/ASNR/CNS/SAIP/SCAI/SIR/SNIS/SVM/SVS Guideline on the Management of Patients With Extracranial Carotid and Vertebral Artery Disease: Executive summary

“…The most feared complication is stroke, the incidence of which is <1% when the procedure is performed by experienced physicians. [118][119][120][121][122][123][124][125] Angiography may be the preferred method for evaluation when obesity, renal dysfunction, or indwelling ferromagnetic material renders CTA or MRA technically inadequate or impossible and is appropriate when noninvasive imaging produces conflicting results. In practice, however, catheter-based angiography is unnecessary for diagnostic evaluation of most patients with ECVD and is used increasingly as a therapeutic revascularization maneuver in conjunction with CAS.…”

Risk Factors of Ischemic Lesions Related to Cerebral Angiography and Neuro-interventional Procedures

“…Previous reports have indicated that incidental embolism is not rare, and past history of vasculopathy, amount of contrast medium used, fluoroscopy time, use of additional catheters, procedures of the occlusion test, and performance of endovascular surgery for cerebrovascular disease are risk factors for embolism. 1,4,5,8,9,11,13,16,17,20,21) Angiography of the coronary arteries also carries a risk for cerebral embolism due to the duration of the procedure. 4,15) Diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) allows for the most sensitive early detection of cerebral ischemia within minutes of onset.…”

Safety of neuroangiography and embolization in children: complication analysis of 697 consecutive procedures in 394 patients

“…Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is still considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of intracranial vascular pathologies, and these conditions are increasingly being treated through endovascular approaches. Although safety profiles for diagnostic and interventional neuroendovascular procedures in adults have been described, 2,4,5,11,12,14,16,23,24,30,[32][33][34]36,38 the complication rates for children during and after such procedures have not been well established. Children have unique anatomy and physiology, which renders cerebral angiography and intervention more challenging than analogous procedures in adults.…”