Intravenous digital subtraction angiography (IVDSA) in children

Forty-one intravenous digital subtraction angiographic (IVDSA) studies were performed in 39 patients aged 4 weeks to 19 years (mean: 9.4 years) in order to evaluate the heart, great vessels and palliative shunts. Contrast agents were injected via antecubital vein cannulation in 14 examinations. In the remaining 27, injections were made through centrally-placed catheters inserted via right antecubital or femoral veins. All but one of the centrally-injected procedures resulted in technically satisfactory images. Four of the peripherally-injected IVDSA studies were unsatisfactory or of limited value due to motion artefacts, insufficient contrast, equipment failure or perivenous extravasations. Systemic-pulmonary shunt lesions were difficult to image, but IVDSA of the aorta and pulmonary arteries provided consistently useful information.