[Intravenous digital subtraction angiography]

Thanks to its high contrast resolution, intravenous digital subtraction angiography (IV-DSA) makes it possible to examine the arteries after injection of contrast media into a peripheral arm vein. IV-DSA is indicated in patients with clinical suspicion of arterial stenosis, occlusion, aneurysm or anomaly (ascending and descending aorta, aortic arch and its great vessels, and the renal, iliac, femoral and popliteal arteries). In many such patients, IV-DSA successfully replaces intraarterial catheter angiography. The advantages of IV-DSA (with a peripheral injection technique) as compared to conventional angiography, include its non-invasive character, a lower complication rate and less discomfort for the patient. The disadvantages of IV-DSA include poorer image quality due to lower concentration of contrast media in the vessels, reduced spatial resolution and the need for larger volumes of contrast media. The indication for conventional angiography is an inconclusive intravenous study due to motion artifacts and/or poor resolution.