Complication rates of diagnostic cerebral arteriography in children

Background: Cerebral arteriography (CA) remains the gold standard in delineating both intra- and extracranial vascular anatomy. Most data relating to the safety of CA are drawn from studies of adult patients in whom the practicalities of the procedure, range of potential pathologies and comorbid factors are different from those in children. Objective: To evaluate the current local and neurological complication rates of paediatric CA in the setting of a tertiary level childrens hospital in the UK. Materials and methods: Data from patients who had undergone CA between January 1998 and July 2003 were reviewed. The medical, anaesthetic and nursing records, and angiography reports were reviewed for all identified patients. The following parameters were extracted and entered into a proforma: gender, age, ethnicity, diagnosis, cerebrovascular diagnosis, referral source, date of CA, number of vessels catheterized and local and neurological complications. Results: A total of 176 CA studies were undertaken in 150 patients (median age 7.3 years, range neonate to 19 years; 83 males, 67 females) during the 5.5-year study period. The majority of referrals originated from the neurology (58%) and neurosurgery services (27.8%). No neurological complications or deaths occurred. Local complications occurred in eight children (4.5%). Five children had a groin haematoma and two had bleeding at the puncture site. A single child had a reduced pedal pulse distal to the site of catheterization, but Doppler imaging was normal. Conclusions: CA has a continuing role in the evaluation of cerebrovascular pathologies in children. Neurological complications are rare and local complications are not uncommon (around 5%), but are not usually serious.