[The current situation of radiologic diagnosis of blood vessels]

The current situation with regard to vascular diagnostics in West Germany is analyzed on the basis of the results of a survey of large non-university institutes of radiodiagnostics. The operative equipment present is generally appraised as being adequate. However, equipment for the performance of digital subtraction angiography must be available. The importance of the intravenous technique is clearly diminishing. In some cases, large-format angiograms are completely dispensed with. The frequency of angiography is greatly decreasing. The expenditure of time and effort for the individual investigation has become greater, so that the angiographic equipment and rooms are used to a much greater extent in terms of time. A fairly uniform observation was that about 60% of all arteriographies are necessary because of sclerotic vascular conditions (AOD). These are often combined with interventional measures. The arteriographies are mainly carried out in the lower limbs (50-70%). The remainder is distributed in thoracic and, in particular, abdominal angiographies, among which the renovasographies still predominate. Numerous leg phlebographies are carried out everywhere and account for 85-95% of all venographic investigations. There has been a great decline in lymphographies throughout Germany.