[Injuries of the intracranial arteries in the angiogram]

Damage to intracranial arteries was demonstrated angiographically in 24 patients with severe trauma to the skull and brain. The most common abnormalities were damage to the intima and traumatic carotid-cavernous fistulae (nine cases each). In addition, there were six traumatic aneurysms of the internal carotid artery, two extravasates from ruptured intracranial branches and one traumatic A-V fistula between the middle meningeal artery and the spheno-parietal sinus. The arterial damage was diagnosed either during the acute stage or after a latent period of days and weeks, if there were signs of intracranial bleeding or other evidence of vascular damage. Cerebral angiography in two or more projections is the method of choice for demonstrating even minor vascular lesions.