angiograafiale

Angiograafiale refers to anything pertaining to angiography, the diagnostic imaging technique that visualises blood vessels. The procedure involves the injection of a radiopaque contrast agent into the vascular system while X‑ray or other imaging modalities capture real‑time images. By visualising arteries and veins, angiography can reveal blockages, aneurysms, vascular malformations, and other abnormalities that would be difficult to detect with conventional imaging.

The basic steps of a standard angiographic exam include patient preparation, local anaesthesia at the puncture site, catheter insertion usually via the femoral or radial artery, contrast injection, and image acquisition. Depending on the clinical question, the angiogram may be followed by therapeutic intervention, such as angioplasty, stenting, or embolisation. In addition to X‑ray fluoroscopy, newer techniques use computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) guidance, producing 3‑dimensional reconstructions that improve diagnostic accuracy.

Common indications for angiography include evaluation of cerebrovascular disease, coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, and visceral organ haemorrhage. It is also used to guide interventional radiology procedures such as embolisation of bleeding sites, tumour vascularisation, and gene therapy delivery.

Complications are infrequent but may include allergic reactions to contrast, nephrotoxicity, arterial puncture problems such as hematoma or pseudoaneurysm, and, rarely, thromboembolic events. Careful patient selection and pre‑procedure kidney function assessment help minimise these risks.

In summary, angiograafiale techniques provide essential information about the circulatory system and underpin many diagnostic and therapeutic medical procedures across a variety of specialties.