Computed Tomography Angiography - Benefits and Risks

Benefits and Risks

Benefits

• CTA can be used to examine blood vessels in many key areas of the body, including the brain, kidneys, pelvis, and the lungs. The procedure is able to detect narrowing of blood vessels in time for corrective therapy to be done.
• This method displays the anatomical detail of blood vessels more precisely than magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound. Today, many patients can undergo CTA in place of a conventional catheter angiogram.
• CTA is a useful way of screening for arterial disease because it is safer and much less time-consuming than catheter angiography and is a cost-effective procedure. There is also less discomfort because contrast material is injected into an arm vein rather than into a large artery in the groin.

Risks

• There is a risk of an allergic reaction, which may be serious, whenever contrast material containing iodine is injected. A patient with a history of allergy to x-ray dye may be advised to take special medication for 24 hours before CTA to lessen the risk of allergic reaction or to undergo a different exam that does not call for contrast material injection.
• CTA should be avoided in patients with kidney disease or severe diabetes, because x-ray contrast material can further harm kidney function.
• If a large amount of x-ray contrast material leaks out under the skin where the IV is placed, skin damage can result.
• Compared with other imaging modalities, CTA is associated with a significant dose of ionizing radiation... Depending on patient age and exam protocol, CTA may cause a considerable increase in lifetime cancer risk. However, there are many clinical situations for which the benefits of performing the procedure outweigh this risk.