Pulmonary angiography

Pulmonary angiography (or pulmonary arteriography) is a cardiological medical procedure. Pulmonary blood vessels are x-rayed to detect arteriovenous malformations.

Direct angiography is the injection of radiocontrast into the circulation with subsequent fluoroscopy (direct X-ray visualisation) of the lungs. A more common form of direct angiography, is the catheterisation of the right atrium of the heart and injection of radiocontrast into the right heart.

A popular form of pulmonary angiography is computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA). This involves venous contrast only.

Invasive pulmonary angiography was first performed in 1931 by Egas Moniz and colleagues. Robb and Steinberg described pulmonary angiography by infusion of peripheral radiocontrast.