DIRECT MAGNIFICATION TECHNIQUE FOR CEREBRAL-ANGIOGRAPHY IN THE RAT

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. The authors evaluated the performance of dir ect magnification radiography (DIMA) with digital image processing for cerebral angiography in the rat. METHODS. A microfocal x-rag unit wit h a focal spot of 5 mu m was used for cerebral angiography in 10 rats. The animals were examined from x 4 up to x 20 magnification after inj ection of 0.2 mt x-ray contrast medium into the common carotid artery, RESULTS. Direct magnification radiography technology provides high re solution images and enables the visualization of very small vessels wi th high quality. It allows the peripheral branches of the middle cereb ral artery or the ophthalmic artery to be visualized. Superimposition and noise effects can be excluded with digital subtraction and image p rocessing. CONCLUSIONS, The experiments show that DIMA radiography is a suitable technique for cerebral angiography in the rat.