[Transbrachial artery approach for selective cerebral angiography].

Transaxillary or transbrachial approaches to the cerebral vessels have been reported, but selective angiography of all four vessels has not been possible through one route. In this report, a new technique for selective cerebral angiography with transbrachial approach is described. One hundred and twenty three patients with cerebral infarction, vertebrobasilar insufficiency, intracerebral hemorrhage, epilepsy, or cerebral tumor were examined. Those patients consisted of 85 outpatients and 38 inpatients whose age ranged from 15 years old to 82 years old. The patients were examined via the transbrachial approach (97 cases via the right brachial, 29 cases via the left). Materials included a DSA system (Digital Fluorikon 5000, General Electric Co.), a 4 French tight J-curved Simmons 80-cm catheter, a 19-gauge extra-thin-wall Seldinger needle, and a J/Straight floppy 125-cm guidewire. Generally, the volume of the contrast agent (300 mgI/ml iopamidol) used in the common carotid artery angiogram was 6 ml, while that used in the vertebral artery angiogram was 4ml. If catheterization of the vertebral artery or right common carotid artery was unsuccessful, about 8ml of the contrast agent was injected into the subclavian or brachiocephalic artery. Definitive diagnosis and a decision on proper treatment of the patients can be easily obtained, and the results were clinically satisfactory. Moreover, no complications were encountered in this study. This new technique making a transbrachial approach to the cerebral vessels using the DSA system is introduced here. Neurosurgeons can use this technique easily, and they will find that it provides them with all the information they need about the patient.