CARBON-DIOXIDE AS AN ALTERNATIVE CONTRAST -MEDIUM IN PERIPHERAL ANGIOGRAPHY

A closed gas pressure pistol was used in 50 patient CO2 angiographies as a supplementary method to conventional injection with liquid contra st medium. These were diagnostic pelvis-leg angiographies (n = 36), th erapeutic angiographies (n = 8), haemodialysis fistulas (n = 3), suspe cted stenosis of a renal transplant artery (n = 1) and suspected renal artery stenosis (n = 1). 246 renal angiography series were performed with CO2. Dosages varied in accordance with the imaged vascular area b etween 10 ccm (shunt imaging) and up to 100 cm(3) (pelvis-leg angiogra phy), at pressures between 400 mbar in case of haemodialysis fistulas up to 2000 mbar in the pelvis-leg area. Short-term feeling of fullness and even nausea were accompanying symptoms in 4 patients. The image q uality was slightly inferior to that of conventional contrast medium i mages due to an elevated signal-to-noise ratio. Injector-monitored CO2 angiographies enabled imaging of the distal aorta or of peripheral va scular sections,imaging of the upper extremity and presentation of kid ney transplants in patients with a relative or absolute contraindicati on to iodised contrast media.