Cerebral angiography. Its use in acute head injuries and undiagnosed coma

One of the major factors in treating a patient with acute alteration of consciousness is to determine if progressive intracranial hemorrhage is present. Similar problems are encountered in cases of cerebrovascular disease where increasingly effective medical and surgical methods of treatment are available. Progressive cerebral thrombosis can be arrested by anticoagulants, intracranial hemorrhage can be controlled and atheromatous occlusion of a major artery can be corrected. Intracranial mass lesions can be detected when the history is not available or is misleading. Cerebral angiography is a relatively safe diagnostic test that is certainly preferable to delayed or haphazard treatment when an exact diagnosis is uncertain in an unconscious patient.