Visceral Angiography



Specially trained radiologists are now able to introduce catheters into virtually any artery or vein and, by injecting contrast agents, to visualize the vasculature of most organs. Because angiog­raphy is an invasive procedure with a small but significant morbidity, angiography is generally re­served for the detection of vascular tumors (e.g., hepatoma, angioma, angiosarcoma) and acutely bleeding lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, par­ticularly of the colon or small bowel, that cannot be visualized endoscopically. Angiography offers the option to treat bleeding by intra-arterial infusion of vasopressin or occlusion of bleeding vessels.