Intravenous digital subtraction angiography in patients with cerebral ischaemia. Evaluation of extracranial carotid lesions

Over a two-year period, 167 patients with symptoms of transient ischaemic attacks or suspected minor stroke underwent intravenous digital subtraction angiography (DSA) of the carotid arteries. There were no major complications. Ninety-six patients had abnormal angiograms, 60 normal studies, and in 11 patients (7%) the examination was not of diagnostic quality, mostly because of motion artifacts. In 86 patients no therapeutic consequences resulted from the DSA examination. Twenty-six patients were referred for vascular surgery, and 34 patients had either anticoagulation or aspirin therapy. In 10 patients a primary medical cause was found for their cerebral vascular symptoms. It is concluded that intravenous DSA of the carotid arteries in patients with transient ischaemic attack is a safe, diagnostically useful procedure, that can also be used on an outpatient basis.