Routine use of limited abdominal aortography with digital subtraction carotid and cerebral angiography.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

We sought to evaluate the usefulness of limited abdominal aortography performed in conjunction with intra-arterial carotid digital subtraction arteriography (DSA) for identification of clinically unsuspected lesions.

METHODS

In a prospective study performed in the Department of Radiology after preliminary carotid duplex imaging, 401 consecutive bilateral carotid intra-arterial DSAs were performed for evaluation of cerebrovascular disease from June 1988 to November 1992.

RESULTS

We detected unilateral renal artery stenosis in 24 patients (6%), bilateral renal artery stenosis in 5, renal cell carcinoma in 1, renal artery aneurysm in 1, abdominal aortic aneurysm in 23 (5.7%), aortic ectasia in 16, and iliac aneurysm in 2.

CONCLUSIONS

When single-plane digital abdominal aortography is performed in conjunction with carotid intra-arterial DSA, significant pathological lesions can be detected with little increase in morbidity and only modest increase in time and cost.