Rotational digital subtraction carotid angiography: technique and comparison with static digital subtraction angiography.

Recent advances in angiography equipment have allowed the development of rotational digital subtraction carotid angiography. We give the first description of this technique applied to the extracranial carotid circulation, using the Phillips Integris V3000 release 11. Forty-three patients undergoing conventional digital subtraction angiography were compared with 63 patients who had rotational digital subtraction angiography for examination of the extracranial carotid circulation. The parameters compared were: total procedure time, volume of contrast injection, number of contrast injections, total data acquisition time, image quality, radiation dose and patient comfort. There was a reduction in the total procedure time, improvement in patient comfort, data acquisition time and a reduction in the number of injections. Conventional DSA may underestimate stenoses in 65% of cases. There is no significant change in the total volume of contrast injected. There is, however, an increase in the radiation dose during data acquisition.