[Arterial time of intravenous pyelography: initial results (author's transl)]

The authors consider that attention should be paid to the arterial time in intravenous pyelography in all patients who undergo the examination. Manual injection or an injector containing 80 to 100 ml of 38% iodine contrast medium set at a speed of 20 ml/sec, on the one hand, and films taken during the arterial phase on the other hand, are the two conditions necessary to obtain a satisfactory arteriogram. Slight abdominal compression and subtraction improve the definition of the films. 600 cases have been collected so far, in the exploration of 105 patients with hypertension, 17 cysts, 7 malignant tumours, extra-renal pathology and various nephropathies in which no indication for arteriography existed. Thus pyelographic arteriography made it possible to avoid renal arteriograms in almost all our patients. Only one selective and one complete arteriogram were necessary. Unusual arterial lesions in nonsurgical renal conditions may be seen (glomerulonephritis, nephroangiosclerosis...) and unexpected images in abdominal conditions with renal manifestations or in association with nephropathies (aneurysms of digestive arteries and the aorta, collagen diseases etc.).