Coronary arteriography: current technique and standards of equipment.

Coronary arteriography has become one of the most important diagnostic procedures. It is considered indispensable prerequisite in all cases of coronary, valvular, and primary myocardial disease for definition of diagnosis as well as planning of cardiac surgical interventions. Indications seem well established today. Complications have been reviewed in detail and are well known for the different procedures being practiced today. Each examiner should have command of the Sones as well as the Judkins technique. High standards of experience and skill are demanded. Equally important is high performance technical equipment. Current status of generators, power supply, X-ray tubes, image-intensifiers and camera technique is reviewed. Cine-angiocardiography on 35 mm film with simultaneous video-tape recording can be considered standard today. Layout of the equipment should include either cradle-mount for patient rotation or better U-stands for rotation of tube-image intensifier system around the resting patient. Oblique and angulated views in multiple directions are mandatory. Bi-plane equipment seems desirable both for ventriculography as well as coronary arteriography. Future developments can be expected mainly in the field of television technology with improved camera tubes, high resolution systems, and possibly digital processing of video signals.