COMPLICATIONS IN VERTEBRAL ANGIOGRAPHY AS COMPARED TO NON-VERTEBRAL CEREBRAL ANGIOGRAPHY IN 447 STUDIES

A series of 435 patients underwent 447 catheter cerebral angiographic procedures, 231 having vertebral artery catheterizations, and 216 having non-vertebral cerebral studies using the same technique. There was no significant difference in the over-all complication rates for the 2 groups (about 11 per cent), but vertebral artery studies were associated with a higher incidence of CNS-related complications (6.5 per cent compared with 4.2 per cent in nonvertebral studies). Only 1 permanent disabling complication of CNS-related type occurred, and there was no death.

The CNS-related complications of catheter vertebral angiography could not be correlated with the duration of the procedure, the total dose of contrast material, or the presence of hypertension; inverse correlation was apparent in respect to number of injections, the presence of arteriosclerosis, and, perhaps, age.

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