Mesenteric angiography

This test is done in a hospital. You will lie on an x-ray table. You may ask for medicine to help you relax (sedative) if you need it. During the test, your blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing will be checked. The health care provider will shave and clean the groin. A numbing medicine (anesthetic) is injected…

You should not eat or drink anything for 6 to 8 hours before the test. You will be asked to wear a hospital gown and sign a consent form for the procedure. Remove jewelry from the area being imaged. Tell your provider: If you are pregnant If you have ever had any allergic reactions to x-ray contrast material,…

You may feel a brief sting when the numbing medicine is given. You will feel a brief sharp pain and some pressure as the catheter is placed and moved into the artery. In most cases, you will feel only a sensation of pressure in the groin area. As the dye is injected, you will feel a warm, flushing sensation. You may…

This test is done: When there are symptoms of a narrowed or blocked blood vessel in the intestines To find the source of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract To find the cause of ongoing abdominal pain and weight loss when no cause can be identified When other studies do not provide enough information about abnormal…

Results are normal if the examined arteries are normal in appearance.

A common abnormal finding is narrowing and hardening of the arteries that supply the large and small intestine. This can cause mesenteric ischemia in which the intestine does not receive enough blood to function normally. The problem occurs when fatty material (plaque) builds up on the walls of your arteries. Abnormal…

There is some risk of the catheter damaging the artery or knocking loose a piece of the artery wall. This can reduce or block blood flow and lead to tissue death. This is a rare complication. Other risks include: Allergic reaction to the contrast dye Damage to the blood vessel where the needle and catheter are…

To make a diagnosis, your doctor may also perform a computed tomography (CT) angiography or magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) before or in place of catheter angiography.

Mcquinn CW, Orion KC. Endovascular diagnostic technique. In: Sidawy AN, Perler BA, eds. Rutherford's Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy . 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 62. Lo RC, Schermerhorn ML. Mesenteric arterial disease: epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical evaluation. In: Sidawy AN,…