[Balloon occlusion aortography in the angiographic study of pulmonary atresia with interventricular defect]

Balloon aortography is a new technique for the angiographic study of pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect. A Swan-Ganz angiographic catheter is employed, whose balloon is inflated to stop blood flow in the descending aorta, thus ensuring the opacification of the pulmonary circulation. By this method we have studied 18 patients. Anatomic details of the pulmonary arterial circulation were obtained in all. No complications occurred. Balloon aortography is a simple and safe technique for the routine study of patients with pulmonary atresia and ventricular septal defect, whereas selective injection in collateral arteries or pulmonary veins, which carries more risk and is more complex, should be adopted only in selected cases.