Diagnostic Cerebral Angiography

• The gold-standard imaging study of the blood vessels of the brain and neck, providing detail beyond what CT or MRI can show
• A thin catheter is guided from the wrist or groin into the arteries supplying the brain, and contrast dye is injected while X-ray images are captured in real time
• Maps the precise size, shape, and flow pattern of aneurysms, AVMs, fistulas, and narrowed arteries
• Used to plan treatment and to confirm results after coiling, flow diversion, or embolization
• Performed as an outpatient procedure, usually with light sedation rather than general anesthesia
• Most patients go home the same day after a short observation period