CARBON-DIOXIDE DIGITAL SUBTRACTION ANGIOGRAPHY IN ONCOLOGICAL-INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY

Aims and background: The aim of this work is to demonstrate the useful ness of carbon dioxide, used as contrast agent, in special indications in vascular interventional oncological procedures. Methods: We studie d 40 patients with digital subtraction angiography enhanced with CO2 a s a contrast agent. At the same time we utilized also, in all cases, j odinated contrast agent to evaluate the different opacification gradie nt, the different viscosity range and the different perfusion. Results : The low viscosity of CO2 allows demonstration of the presence of eve n minimal blood losses in gastrointestinal tumors and enhances arterio venous shunts in hepatocellular carcinoma. Carbon dioxide can also be employed to assess the patency of small-sized catheters for chemothera py infusion which do not allow easy injection of the traditional iodin ated contrast agents characterized by high viscosity. Conclusion: Carb oangiographic study combined to digital subtraction angiography can de ar some diagnostic problems and is further method to assess the outcom e of angiographic interventional procedures in oncology.