Trauma of the extremities: prospective comparison of digital and conventional angiography

Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and conventional film angiography (CFA) were compared prospectively in 50 patients with trauma of the extremities. Each patient underwent both procedures with comparable imaging parameters and injections. Three angiographers reviewed the angiograms for the presence of seven angiographic signs of arterial injury. The two modalities showed pseudoaneurysms, arteriovenous fistulas, vessel displacement, occlusion, and focal narrowing equally well. CFA was superior to DSA in delineating intimal dissection; DSA was better for demonstrating extravasation. Clinical follow-up demonstrated that both procedures had a sensitivity of 100%; the specificity was 94% for DSA and 97% for CFA. Neither procedure produced a false-negative result.