[Utility of selective cerebral angiography through the transbrachial route]

Selective cerebral angiography through the transbrachial route was performed in a total of 102 patients including those at the acute phase (24 with subarachnoid hemorrhage, 10 with malformation of cerebral vessels, 7 with brain tumor, 49 with ischemic cerebrovascular disease, and 12 with other cerebrovascular abnormalities) from May, 1990 to March 1993. The patients were from 14 to 82 years of age, and 20% of them were 70 years or older (74.7 +/- 3.29 years). A 5 Fr. introducer catheter (Radifocus Introducer Kit A, Terumo Corp., Tokyo) was placed in the brachial artery at the bend in the right arm. A Judkins type-4cm right coronary catheter (C.R. Bard, Inc., Massachusetts) was selectively inserted into the common carotid artery and vertebral artery through this 5 Fr. introducer catheter, and angiography was performed. Three cases of unsuccessful puncture of the brachial artery were excluded, and the remaining 99 cases were included in the analysis. Transbrachial selective cerebral angiography was performed in 58, 34, 88, and 90% of the total number of cases, subjected to cerebral angiography in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993 respectively. Thus, this approach to the cerebral vessels has been used in the majority of the recent cases. The rate of success in terms of angiography (no. of occasions/no. of attempts * 100) was 99% (73/74) for r-CAG, 94% (52/55) for 1-CAG, 100% (41/41) for r-VAG, and 82% (9/11) for 1-VAG.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)