Cerebral angiography: review of complications in 450 consecutive examinations

Purpose : To evaluate all types of complications, both minor and major, ass ociated with modern cerebral angiography. Materials and Methods : A prospective study of 450 consecutive cerebral ang iographic procedures is reported. Results: One patient (0,2%) died from a cholesterol embolus. In seven patie nts (1,6%), thromboembolic events occured within 24 hours after the procedu re, leading to transient ischemic symptoms in six and permanent hemiplegia in one. Two patients suffered from acute renal failure (0,4%). Transient ca rdiac arrythmias were observed in three patients without consequence on the clinical outcome. Most complications of angiography occurred in patients r eferred from the neurology department for work-up of stroke syndrome. Conclusion : Our results show that morbidity and mortality rates related to the angiographic procedure did not decrease in spite of major improvement of angiographic materiel. Atherosclerosis is the main risk factor for compl ication. Most of the complications could be avoided by appropriate selectio n of indications and by using non-invasive techniques such as magnetic reso nance angiography or helical CT angiography.